The Pat Kenny Show

This summer in Copenhagen a new scheme offers you something free, if you pick up rubbish. The CopenPay initiative offers around 100 activities in exchange for free or reduced prices on a selection of experiences, from museums to meals out. So should Dublin City Council introduced something similar? Newstalk Henry McKean finds out. 

Ryanair have cancelled a number of flights today due to strikes by French air traffic controllers. This is the second day of planned industrial action that is said to have affected up to 30,000 passengers across both days. We discuss this effects of the strike with Eoghan Corry Air and Travel Magazine Editor.

Birdwatch Ireland wants the Government to officially designate key locations around and off the coast of Ireland as protected areas. For more on this Ivan spoke to Oonagh Duggan, Head of Advocacy at Birdwatch Ireland.

From today, parts of Parliament Street are being pedestrianized. The sections between Essex Quay and Essex Gate are now car-free, only open to cyclists and pedestrians. We get the details of these changes with Motoring Editor of the Sunday Independent Geraldine Herbert.

Last week, NATO held its annual summit in the Hague, Netherlands. Where U.S. President Donald Trump persuaded most NATO countries to commit to a target of 5% of GDP to increase the budget for defence. We are not a member of NATO but with talks about giving up our neutrality policy, we might be left with no choice but to join and pay the €20 billion annual membership fee. For context, this could pay to build a new Metrolink in 2026 and every year thereafter. All to discuss with Economist, Colm McCarthy. 

In the 1960s, three babies were left at differing locations around the country shortly after their birth. David McBride was found in a Belfast driveway, John Dowling was found in a Drogheda phone box and Helen Ward at a Dundalk phone box. All are siblings. Their story was told in a documentary which aired last night and Helen and David joined Ivan to tell their story.

Allergic diseases are on the rise here in Ireland for more reason than one. Newstalk Reporter Sarah Madden has been investigating the upward trend

This year’s League of Ireland has already produced a slew of crazy stories and tasty rumours as it heads towards the business end of the season. Whether fact or fiction, fans of the domestic game have always been kept in good supply of drama and debacle-and even a little bit of glamour. The story of the first Brazilian to play in the League of Ireland is a perfect example of this, as Cameron Hill from Off The Ball explains.

Egg freezing is a booming business with a 400 percent increase since 2012. But should men consider freezing their sperm? A study found men’s fertility drastically decline for those over the age of 50. Professor of Immunology at Trinity College Dublin Professor Luke O’Neill discusses men’s fertility and their options, including freezing their sperm.

One of the biggest stories for the past almost two years has been the horrific humanitarian situation in Gaza which seems to get worse on a daily basis The death toll has now passed 57,000 according to health authorities in the Enclave.  Speaking to Ivan is the global spokesperson for UNICEF, James's elder, who only two weeks ago was in Gaza and he outlined what he saw on his recent visit. 

This weekend will see the all-Ireland senior hurling championship semi-finals take place. With Saturday's fixture of Cork and Dublin selling out, in a little over two hours. Stand tickets were priced at €60, which is €5 more than last year.  This begs the question, are we getting our money's worth from these rising prices? All to discuss with Diarmuid Lyng, Former Wexford Hurling Captain and Maurice Brosnan, Senior Sportswriter for The Irish Examiner.

Joining Ivan on the show this morning was Professor Catriona Ryan, Consultant Dermatologist with the Institute of Dermatology, to answer your dermatology questions and to give expert advice on skincare treatments and more. 

Less than one week out to a deadline for a deal on tariffs between the European Union and the United States, where do negotiations stand? And is it likely that a base rate of 10% tariffs will remain? Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe is in studio to discuss this and the latest around coalition disagreement on college fees.

Garden Stories this week features Kerry woman Annette Dalton who has worked in senior roles in Britain’s gardening establishment including the Royal Horticultural Society, Kew Gardens and the National Trust. She has since returned home to Ireland and joins Jonathan to tell us her story. All with thanks to Tirlán.

New figures show that new electric car sales up 27% in first half of 2025 - a jump of 81.9% from the 685 registrations in June of last year. This comes as overall new car registrations for June were up 63.5%. The Luas line turns 21 years old, so how long will it take for Cork to get a tramline? All to discuss with Conor Faughnan Transport commentator.

The cost of food is rising, and families across the country could be paying three thousand euros more for groceries. Farmers are blaming the Government. We speak to Denis Drennan President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) and also Damien O’Reilly Lecturer in Retail Management at TUD. 

An intense heatwave is continuing to grabble across mainland Europe with as countries are dealing with record-breaking temperatures. We go to France and speak to Lindsey Tramuta, reporter based in France. We also heard from Paul Moore climatologist with Met Eireann.

With the news that Aaron Sorkin is penning a follow-up to David Fincher's The Social Network, we look at other films where the 'real-life' story they were based on evolved (or even changed) after its release with Dee Reddy.

The Department of Health has launched a new 10-year national sexual health strategy to tackle the rising of sexually transmitted infections among young people in Ireland. While there has been an increase of at home STI testing, there are still a number of issues in the treatment of STI across the country. Among those are staff shortages, clinic closures and long waiting lists.All to discuss with Dr Aisling Loy Genitourinary Medicine Consultant.

Dr Ruth Freeman looks at grooming behaviour discovered in orcas and how plastics bottles can now be turned into paracetamol. Orcas, also known as killer whales, have been observed mutually grooming each other with a type of seaweed. Also a new discovery has been made researchers have found that bacteria can be used to turn plastic waste into painkillers, opening the possibility of a more sustainable process for producing the drugs.All to discuss in this week's Green Scene with thanks to Repak.

US President Donald trump has claimed that Israel is ready to agree a peace deal with Hamas. We get more on this with Paul Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Peace at Bradford University.

With the recent government announcement to scrap the temporary 1K college fee subsidy, students and their parents are concerned about being able to afford their children’s college tuition. Sinéad Ryan talks to us about the cost-saving measures parents can avail of, like the SUZI grant and tax benefit. 

Eight years ago, ruth ware captivated readers with the story of Lo Blacklock aboard the aurora and now she is back for a second installment of Lo’s adventures. This time around Lo is now happily married and the mother of two children and is swapping the cruise ship for a luxury Swiss hotel. Ruth Ware joins Jonathan Healy to chat the latest on her new book 'The Woman In Suite 11' and more.

Olympic swimming coach George Gibney has been arrested in Florida on foot of historical sexual abuse allegations. Four men have been arrested in connection with the seizure of drugs worth over €31 million in Co Cork. All to discuss with Stephen Breen, Crime Editor of the Irish Sun.

Around one in ten adults on the island of Ireland play golf at least once a year, with the sport contributing €717 million annually directly to the economy as well as supporting 15,600 jobs, this begs the question is golf still classed as an elitist sport?All to discuss with Larry Donnelly, Law lecturer at the University of Galway and Columnist with The Journal and also Tracy Bunyan, Golf Ireland COO.

Record temperatures hit Spain with ambulances on standby. We get the latest from Spain with Graham Keely, journalist based in Spain.

Many German airports have a strict nighttime curfew. airlines and airports can be heavily fined for operations outside permitted times. What happens when the curfew is missed. Kevin Byrne Retired Lieutenant Colonel and airport safety and security expert explained all.

Last week, Zohran Mamdani stunned the political scene in New York City by winning the Democratic nomination for mayor. He fought off the challenge of former Governor Andrew Cuomo and will now go on to November’s election. Lorcan Nyhan brings us a full profile of the man that Donald Trump has branded “a pure communist”.

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta will launch a brand new Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL). This new division will be dedicated to developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) and, ultimately, superintelligence. Jess Kelly brings us more details.

A recent survey by Childcare.co.uk should that boys are the easier gender to raise based on their emotional needs, communication, behavior and resilience. But is this really the case? We discussed this with Tanya Sweeney, Journalist with the Irish Independent and also Enda Murphy, Psychotherapist.

The European Union's Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič is flying to Washington today for talks with senior Trump administration officials ahead of next week’s deadline. We get the latest on this with Koen Verhelst is a Trade Reporter at POLITICO.

Retirement is a life-long dream for some, but for others it can come too soon. We will look at ways to keep busy for those required to retire early. All to discuss with Peter Cosgrove Managing Director of Futurewise.

Minister for Housing Jame Browne will today present to cabinet a league table of how local authorities are performing when it comes to housing deliver. It will show that less than half of local authorities met or exceeded their targets. Political Correspondent with The Irish Times Jack Horgan-Jones brings us the story with analysis from Senior Lecturer in Housing, TU Dublin Dr Lorcan Sirr.

Simon Tierney has been meeting with the Russian community in Ireland and how they have dealt with the isolation of their country and the stigma of being a Russian living abroad since the invasion of Ukraine. Simon spoke to two Russians and a Ukrainian.in order to try and understand their predicament.

Many parents are facing a hike in “voluntary” contributions as inflation has left many primary schools struggling financially. Speaking to Jonathan this morning was Seamus Mulconry, General Secretary of The Catholic Primary School Association and also Peter Melrose, Primary School Teacher from Meath.

Are you having trouble getting your kids to sleep? Maybe it’s the brighter evenings now and they’re refusing to go to bed or maybe their nap times have become irregular. Our expert helping us today is Lucy Wolfe Sleep Expert.All with thanks to Hidden Hearing. 

The Irish Natural and Hill Farmers Association, or INHFAM, are for measures to be implemented to counter the mounting cases of dog attacks on livestock.   The body are meeting with the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture this week. For more on this we heard from ohn Joe Fitzgerald, INHFA Vice President. 

Controversy surrounding Glastonbury continues to dominate the headlines. UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer has led the public criticisms following punk duo bob vylan for chanting the of “death” to the Israeli military. To discuss further Anton was joined on the show by Georgie Prodromou, Political Editor with Bauer Media UK.

Last minute holiday tips for people who have booked but are still prepping to go. Packing smart, avoiding car hire upsells, having EHIC card, using Revolut to avoid fees, packing a small “big” bag so you only pay luggage fees one way.  Pol Ó Conghaile Irish Independent Travel Editor bring us al the travel tips.All with thanks to Ryanair.

Four Wicklow men have set out to beat the Guinness world record for rowing around the island of Ireland. They’re trying to beat the previous record of 32 days and 7 hours. They’ve set off from the west coast and are on route around the island. 12 months of preparation, hard work and the support of their entire communities have helped them set sail to raise money for their local charities. Speaking from the Irish costal waters was Diarmuid Bhroin, Captain of the rowing team.

A relationship review could be exactly what a couple needs to communicate effectively and strengthen their connection.   But what is a relationship review, and how can a couple go about conducting one? All to discuss with Stephaine Regan Clinical Psychotherapist.

A new report to be published by the Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill this morning will warn that there are areas across the country which face being GP blackspots due to GP retirements. Dr Deirdre Collins joined Anton this morning to discuss these concerns.

A local counsellor in Limerick is calling for more Gardaí to patrol the city so they can clamp down on crime and feuds. Counsellor Sarah Beasley from Aontú said at a metropolitan district meeting “we need more gardaí. Limerick is in trouble, and we all know it.”  Sarah spoke to Anton this morning on the show.

Many of our mothers and grandmothers will have had to give up work when they got married, but today in Ireland it's increasingly common for women to outearn their husbands. Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports on the rise of female breadwinners, and what it means for Irish finance and relationships:

As the Presidential election draws nearer more and more candidates are emerging vying for presidency. Some are cautiously raising their hand, while others are staking heavy claim for the job.  All to discuss with Anton and Fionnan Sheahan Fionnán Sheahan is Ireland editor of the Irish Independent at Mediahuis Ireland.

Keira Keogh TD, Fine Gael, Mayo, Senator Laura Harmon, Labour, Spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; Disability, Cork  and Mary Regan, Political Editor, Irish Independent joined Jonathan in studio today for our Friday Forum.

Top tips on how to secure a mortgage as approvals hit record levels. Telling us all was Martina Hennessy, Managing Director of Doddl.

Gareth Mullins takes us through a sweet strawberry tart and Dubai chocolate chip cookies.

There are all calls for the government to take action and deal with the opportunities and risks associated with AI. As Ireland is at risk from falling behind other countries.   Professor Barry O'Sullivan, School of Computer Science and It in University College Cork, and Member of The Government’s AI Advisory Council discussed this further with Jonathan this morning on the show.

Jenny Maguire President of Trinity College Dublin Student’s Union, Jamie Kenny Co-CEO Dublin LGBTQ+ Pride and Colm O’Gorman look ahead to the Dublin Pride Parade.