Newstalk Weekend

AI “afterlife” services let people create digital twins that outlive them, trained on voice, memories and data, but current legal frameworks don’t recognise personality rights or ownership beyond simple data protection, raising crucial questions about consent, legacy, privacy and the risk of misrepresentation in an unregulated digital graveyard. Joining Emmet Oliver to discuss is Andy O'Donoghue, technology broadcaster and columnist.

From underdog kids on the ice to Cold War politics played out in a hockey rink, some of the greatest sports films don’t just entertain; they tell us something about who we are. Emmet Oliver is joined by Brian Lloyd, Movie Critic and Entertainment Journalist, to break down why these films still resonate and what separates a good sports movie from a great one

Once abandoned in a Tesco bag as a puppy, Indiana Bones is heading to Crufts to represent the country for a fourth year in a row. Laura Murphy, trainer with WaggyMamas Agility – Dog Agility and Training in Wicklow, joins Emmet to chat about the honour and what preparations need to take place before the event itself.

Political judgement is the skill that is seen as compulsory if you are to reach high office. In the past week, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer has had his judgment questioned from all sides of the political spectrum as revelation after revelation flows from the Epstein papers. Central to the story is the disgraced financier’s relationship with Lord Mandelson, the co-architect of the New Labour project in the 1990s. Instead of policy, Starmer is dealing with photos of the peer in his pants, and the unsightly mess could even cost the PM his job. Joining Emmet Oliver to discuss is Enda Brady, presenter with TRT World.

Joining Emmet Oliver to go through the main stores from the Saturday papers is Gina London, former CNN White House Correspondent and Sunday Independent Columnist & Paul Hayes, founder of Beachhut PR.

David Ryan, who exposed abuse linked to Blackrock College, is set for a private audience with Pope Leo XIV, where he says he’ll ask tough questions about how the Church buried abuse for decades. Abuse survivor and campaigner Colm O’Gorman joins Emmet Oliver to discuss.

With Champions League group stages complete, the Premier League title race still very much in the balance, and the 2026 Six Nations just around the corner, Emmet Oliver is joined by OTB’s Shane Hannon to talk about it all.

Donald Trump says it would be “great” if the US didn’t have to use force against Iran, but as American naval power builds in the Gulf and Tehran warns it’s ready to strike back, diplomacy looks fragile

Joining Emmet Oliver to chat through the main stories in the Sunday papers is Mark Hennessy, Ireland and Britain Editor with The Irish Times; Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Fingal West; and Christina Finn, Political Editor with TheJournal.ie.

One of Ireland’s most beloved comedians, Julie Jay, has returned to the classroom after taking some time away from teaching secondary school. She’s back, juggling weekly gigs, two young children, podcasts, and a parenting column in the Irish Examiner - she joins Emmet Oliver to talk about it all.

For this week's Ask The Expert, Emmet Oliver was joined by Robert Whelan, Managing Director at Rockwell Financial.

When tech companies shut down cloud support, perfectly functional hardware can lose core features overnight, turning expensive tech into e-waste and leaving customers carrying all the risk in an ecosystem designed around corporate, not consumer, timelines. Joining Emmet Oliver to discuss is Irish Times Business and Technology Journalist, Ciara O'Brien.

Emmet Oliver is joined by Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee.

The inaugural European Motor Show takes place at the RDS Dublin this weekend, featuring major automotive brands, EVs, supercars, and classic cars and featuring names such as Alex Dunne and Christian Horner, as well as Charley Boormanwho joins Emmet Oliver to talk about it all.

Joining Emmet Oliver to go through the main stories from the Saturday papers is Louisa Meehan, Woodview HRM & HR and Dispute Resolution expert & Craig Hughes, Political Editor of the Irish Daily Mail.

It’s been one long heavy shower of rain this week as Storm Chandra was followed by another rain front. This has caused havoc as flooding throughout the country showed the limitations of parts of our transport and wider infrastructure. Emmet Oliver is joined by Climate Scientist and the founder of Ireland's Weather Channel, Cathal Nolan, to discuss.

Award-winning actor Catherine O'Hara, beloved for her performances in the likes of Schitt’s Creek and Home Alone, has died aged 71. Melanie Finn, Entertainment Correspondent for the Irish Independent, joins Emmet Oliver to discuss.

Claire Byrne explores the big stories through the lens of real life.This podcast brings context, consequences and clarity to the issues shaping Ireland today.Covering politics and current affairs alongside the human stories behind them, Claire asks the questions people are thinking, but don’t always hear answered.From housing and health to work, family life, well-being and culture, you’ll hear smart, engaging discussion and moments of light relief - connecting the dots between what’s happening and what it means for you. And it all kicks off on February 3rd.Follow The Claire Byrne Show on the GoLoud app, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Dermot Bannon, Architect and host of 'Room to Improve', joins Anton to chat about his life, career, and the latest season of 'Room to Improve'.

This week, Snapchat's parent company, Snap, settled a social media addiction case days beforeit was due to go to court. The 19-year-old woman who was the plaintiff in the case alleges that social media platform algorithms left her addicted and affected her mental health. Other defendants in the case, including Instagram parent Meta and ByteDance's TikTok, are still set to go to court. To discuss, Anton is joined by Technology Editor at the Irish Independent and host of the Big Tech show podcast, Adrian Weckler.

With all that happened at Davos and the growing divide between NATO allies, where does this leave Ireland and what's next for EU/US relations? Joining Anton to discuss is Simon Coveney, former Tánaiste, Minister for Enterprise and Deputy Leader of Fine Gael.

Joining Anton to go through the main stories from the Sunday papers is Noirin O’Sullivan, former Garda Commissioner; Conor Pope, Irish Times Consumer Affairs Correspondent; and Sean O’Rourke, podcaster & and former Broadcaster.

A federal immigration officer shot and killed a man on Saturday in Minneapolis, drawing hundreds of protesters onto the streets and ramping up tensions in a city already rocked by a previous fatal shooting on January 7th. Joining Anton to discuss is Larry Donnelly, Law lecturer at the University of Galway and Columnist with The Journal.ie.

Mike Hanrahan has had a long career in music and spent over a decade on the IMRO board. After the death of his mother, he went to Trinity to study for a fellowship in the study of equity in brain health, focusing on how the creative arts can help people with brain illnesses. Mike joins Anton to talk about it all.

Joining Anton to go through the main stories from the Saturday papers is Rhona Mahony, Consultant Obstetrician and former master of the National Maternity Hospital & Kevin Doyle, Group Head of News at Mediahuis Ireland.

Brian Burke, RTE Supergarden judge and Woodies DIY and garden expert, joins Anton to answer all of your gardening-related questions.

What actually goes on behind the scenes to win an Oscar? How much money is spent on campaigns? How has the award season changed over the years, and what impact does winning an award like this have on the production company? Joining Anton to chat about how the awards season has changed is Screentime presenter, John Fardy.

A number of global issues were at the forefront of the World Economic Forum in Davos, from the war in Ukraine to a revolution in Iran, but the U.S, Greenland, and Donald Trump took the spotlight. To help Anton to sift through the debris left in the wake of Davos and discuss what to make of Trump’s Board of Peace, is Professor in European Politics in Maynooth, John O’Brennan.

Deirdre Heney, the chair of Dublin City Council's housing committee, has floated the idea that we encourage people to move out of the city to take pressure off services. One woman who made that leap is Martha Gilheaney, who moved from O’Connell St to Leitrim, she joins Anton along with Geraldine Herbert, Motoring Editor and Columnist for the Sunday and Irish Independent, to discuss.

How did vehicles bought for overseas peacekeeping end up parked in storage and barely driven & what does it mean as Ireland considers a €500 million replacement programme? Joining Anton to discuss is Security Defence Analyst, Declan Power.

Anton is joined 'In conversation' by Professor of Disability Research, a sociologist and bioethicist, Tom Shakespeare.

Cocaine use in Ireland has surged in the past decade, moving from the margins into the mainstream Irish social life, with Ireland now ranking among the highest users in Europe. So, what’s driving the boom, and what’s it doing to us? To discuss, Anton is joined by Jo-Hanna Ivers, Professor in Addiction at the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin & Detective Chief Superintendent Séamus Boland, the head of An Garda Síochána's Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has exposed serious gaps in online safety, highlighted this week by concerns around so-called “nudification” tools linked to Grok. At the same time, the Government has launched the National Conversation on Education, a public consultation aimed at shaping how Ireland prepares young people for a future defined by AI, digital risk, and constant change. Anton is joined by Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, to discuss.

Joining Anton to go through the main stories for the Sunday papers is Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour MEP; Valerie Cox, journalist; and Gavan Reilly, Political Correspondent at Virgin Media Television.

EU diplomats are set to hold an emergency meeting after Donald Trump announced tariffs against European countries over their opposition to US control of Greenland. Joining Anton to discuss the latest developments and how European leaders may respond is Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent for Euronews.Also joining Anton to discuss concerns over whether Donald Trump succeeds in exerting control over the US Federal Reserve and the possible ramifications for the global economy is Dan O'Brien, Chief Economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs & columnist with The Currency.

Tanya Sweeney, features writer and columnist for the Irish Independent & author, joins Anton to discuss her new book ‘Esther Is Now Following You’.

Dr Eleanor Galvin joins Anton to answer listeners' questions on all things medical.

As concerns grow about artificial intelligence being used to create sexualised images without consent, the Alders Unit CHI at Connolly in Blanchardstown warns that the harm is real and lasting and not restricted to the online, virtual world. Joining Anton to discuss the issue is Keith O'Reilly, Director at The Alders Unit CHI at Connolly in Blanchardstown & People Before Profit TD for Dun Laoghaire, Richard Boyd Barrett.

An international review of hundreds of thousands of pregnancies has found no link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism or ADHD, directly contradicting claims made by Donald Trump and some US officials. Joining Anton to discuss is Dr Brendan O’Shea, Adjuvant Professor in Primary Care and Public Health at Trinity College Dublin.

Joining Anton to go through the main stories from the Saturday papers is Lise Hand, journalist & Joan Burton, Former Tánaiste and Labour Minister.

Éanna Ní Lamhna, Wildlife Expert, joins Anton to talk all things swans, deer, and Ireland's native environment.

Joining Anton to go through the main stories from the Sunday papers is Frances Fitzgerald, former Tánaiste, and member of the G7 Advisory Council Senior Advisor at Teneo; Eoin O’Broin, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Mid-West & party spokesperson on Housing; and Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at DCU.

Joining Anton to chat about his life and career is Olympic boxing champion, Michael Carruth.

This week, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has been accused of helping to create sexualised deepfake images of real women and children on X, but are those images actually illegal here in Ireland, and if so, who is responsible: the user, the platform, or the AI itself? Joining Anton to discuss is Ronan Lupton Barrister, Senior Counsel specialising in Data Protection, AI, Privacy, Media.

Bowel cancer has traditionally been more common in older adults, but cases in people under 50 have been climbing sharply around the world. But now researchers in the UK are digging into one of the largest archives of preserved tumours to compare historic and modern cancers and analyse how they have changed over time. Joining Anton to discuss is Prof Kevin Monahan, consultant gastroenterologist at St Mark's Hospital in London.

In Minnesota, a fatal ICE shooting raises questions about federal authority versus state oversight, while abroad, Trump’s Greenland threats are testing NATO and Europe’s reliance on the US. Joining Anton to make sense of it all is Josh Crosbie, Newstalk Reporter & Paul Brandus, West Wing Reports Founder.

For this week's Ask the Expert, Anton is joined by Sarah Keogh, Dietitian and Founder of Eatwell.

Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh & Singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy join Anton to chat about their experience on Dancing with the Stars 2026.

Food, like a lot of things can be heavily influenced by trends, leading to plenty of fads, which come and go as various flavours of the day. But what trends can we expect in the culinary world for this year going forward? To answer that question, Anton is joined by Food Forecaster, one half of the Gastro Gays, and Sunday Times restaurant critic Russell Alford.

Joining Anton to go through the main stories from the Saturday papers is Danny McConnell, Editor with The Business Post & Tabitha Monahan, Political Reporter with the Irish Independent & Indo Daily Presenter.