Lunchtime Live

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.

An interesting letter to the editor in the Irish Times yesterday ,‘If we have a minimum wage, why not a maximum one?.' Andrea was joined by the writer of that letter,Jim O’Sullivan from Sligo, to discuss what is a maximum wage and why he thinks it is a good idea.

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

Karl Dawson, Presenter of Weekend Breakfast on 98fm, joined Andrea to highlight the on going trolley crisis in Irish hospitals. He explained his 87 year old grandmother has been waiting on a trolley with no sleep since going into hospital over thirty two hours ago.

Vogue Williams was left thoroughly unimpressed recently when a man initially refused to move seats with her on a plane so she could sit closer to her family. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss if it is fair to expect someone to give up their seat just because someone has a child.

The UK government are discussing adding registration plates and insurance to bikes is being floated by the UK government. They’re also considering the possibility of cyclists receiving penalty points and fines if they break speed limits or run red lights. Andrea was joined by listeners and cycling advocates to discuss if this might work here in Ireland.

On yesterday's show Andrea chatted to listener Tammy, from Tipperary. She spoke about how she felt society has lost a bit of its kindness and, during the conversation the issue of calling in on neighbor's unannounced came up. Andrea was joined by listeners on this afternoon's show, to discuss if dropping in unannounced is rude or should be encouraged.

Ireland's housing market is an ongoing issue, those looking to rent are finding it increasingly difficult. With a lack of properties and high rent's, finding a suitable living space is no easy task. Andrea was joined by Conor, who put up a video on Twitter showing a queue of renters that spread down a whole street, for a room to rent in Dublin.

Austin Stack spoke to Breakfast about why we need to stop glorifying the IRA. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss where do we draw the line with the IRA, and if rebel songs are ok but murals and bonfires aren’t.

With the return of festival's Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss the cost of festivals. Andy Noonan, Owner of the Big Grill Festival joined Andrea and a listener to discuss how long ques for food, left some attendee's feeling short changed.

New parents in some parts of the country are being told that they won’t get visits from a public health nurse because of staff shortages. The HSE have apparently told them that only young children with proven medical risks or needs will be seen. Public health nurses usually help families with things like feeding, child safety and connecting with your infant. Vicky is a mum of three, she joined Andrea to discuss her fears for parents who might lose out on vital support.

Yesterday on the show you might remember we were chatting to listener Martina who was annoyed with people interrupting their conversation to show her photos on their phones. In particular, she pointed out one person, a complete stranger ,who stopped her to show her pictures of their dog. Andrea returned to the conversation today, and spoke to a listener who felt we need to take more time to be kind to others.

The number of ‘lonely, single’ men is on the rise, and according to an American psychologist it is because women have higher standards now when it comes to dating. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss if when it comes to dating our standards are to high.

The summer months have been filled with festivals and show's, as people enjoy some well deserved post pandemic freedom. Andrea was joined by listeners and those working in the industry to discuss if they are overpriced, or if the cost of living has made it impossible to sell tickets at a lower price.

An Irishman who got a seven-inch tattoo of Marty Whelan’s face on his thigh after losing a Fantasy Football bet says he’s delighted to honour ‘an icon of Irish broadcasting.’ Phil O’Kelly got the tattoo this weekend and posted the whole experience to Twitter, he joined Andrea to discuss the massive response.

Children are spending an increasing amount of time online but for many parents it can be hard to police what they are exposed to and ensure they are being safe. Andrea was joined by listener Jeff, who was in touch with the show to share his own story highlighting the importance of online safety.

A new report from the HSE has shown has warned recruitment being surpassed by demand for organization's services, which is leading to long waiting times for ambulance's.

Listener Martina was in touch with the show to discuss if many of us over share pictures we have on our phone with other people. Martina told Andrea she is fed up with people whipping out their phone to show her everything from wedding dresses to dinner pictures.

With the weather being so nice over the weekend, hundreds of sun seekers flocked to their local beach to enjoy the heat. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss the images of car's on beaches that surfaced online, and asked if car's should be banned from beaches.

There have been calls for more to be done to tackle the problem of scrambler bikes in Limerick City. Sinn Fein TD for Limerick City Maurice Quinlivan joined Andrea to discuss if more needs to be done to regulate scramblers.

The Garda Band has cost taxpayers an average of almost €25,000 per performance since 2020, a figure comparable to booking fees charged by some top stars in the music industry. Nearly €4.6 million has been spent on the ensemble over the past two-and-a-half years, during which time it has played at a total of 190 events in settings including schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and churches. Andrea was joined by former guards and listeners to discuss if the band is worth the money.

Andrea was broadcasting live from Limerick and was joined by Dr Maura Adshead, Head of Community Engagement, Associate Professor of Politics, University of Limerick, Deirdre Forde, Lord Mayor of Cork City Council and Alison Gilliland, Former Lord Mayor of Dublin, to debate the issue of a directly elected mayor.

Numbers revealed to Newstalk show that over one in every five people who attended Sexual Assault Treatment Units last year, were less than 18 years old. In total, 859 patients went to the units in 2021 after being attacked, an increase of 17% on the previous year. Andrea was joined by Margo Noonan, advanced nurse practitioner with Cork Sexual Assault Treatment Unit to react to the numbers.

There are fears Christmas may be cancelled in a West Cork town after funding for Christmas lights has been reduced, sparking concern amongst the community. Andrea was joined by Diarmuid Creegan is the Chair of Clonakilty Tidy towns, Fianna Fail TD Christopher O'Sullivan and locals to discuss what this might mean for the West Cork community.

Anyone who has an unusual name or spelling will be used to people mispronouncing it from time to time. University Limerick want to cut out that issue, so they’ve asked graduates to record their name pronunciation for the graduation ceremony. Andrea was joined by Aelish Nagle, Ceremonies Manager with UL, and listeners with unusual names, to discuss the issues of mispronunciation.

On yesterdays show Andrea was joined by listeners who had experienced lost luggage and were experiencing difficulties contacting the airline. Today she was joined by more listeners who were in touch with the show to describe their own experiences, and to offer advice to others about how best to retrieve the baggage through the airline.

Listener Leo joined Andrea on the show from Wicklow, to discuss the conversation earlier in the show around speed limits. Leo, spoke about losing his daughter in a road traffic accident and how hearing people make excuses for speeding drivers deeply upsets him.

A lack of nursing places in the Round Zero CAO offers have left many aspiring nurses disheartened after their hopes to continue their studies was cut short. Andrea was joined by listeners who were in touch with the show to share their own stories.

Actress Olivia Newton John has passed away at the age of 73. She had a career that spanned more than five decades, but she will always be remembered most from her role as Sandy opposite John Travolta in 1978’s ‘Grease’. Andrea was joined by listeners who played Sandy in Irish productions, and spoke to them about their experience of playing the iconic character.

The first average speed camera to be placed on a motorway in Ireland will become operational from Monday. From 7am on April 25, the mainline Motorway Average Speed Safety Camera system will begin checking motorists' speeds. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss what this mean for motorists.