The Pat Kenny Show

Ireland is to join a €150 billion EU defense plan that will allow member states to acquire military equipment to rearm against Russia. We discuss this and more with Declan Power, Security and Defence Analyst.

The football All Ireland Quarter Finals are this weekend in Croke Park. Ireland's Dan Sheehan will guide the Lions down under to take on Western Force. All this and more on this weekend’s sports with Colm Boohig.

Wedding celebrations begin for Jeff Bezos as he gets ready to tie the knot with TV presenter Lauren Sanchez.  200 guests in Venice are getting ready to celebrate the tech-multi billionaire’s wedding. Nick Pisa, Senior Global Reporter with the Daily Mail tells us about the big day.

Filmmaker Mark McLoughlin joined Jonathan on the show today to talk about his new documentary Stolen Lives as it conveys the remarkable story of Sunny Jacobs and Peter Pringle, the only married, exonerated couple in the world. 

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth yesterday launched a scathing attack on the American media for its reporting of US strikes on Iran, saying that cheering against their president is “in their DNA”. It followed reporting earlier this week on a leaked intelligence assessment which said that US strikes set back the Iranian nuclear programme only by a matter of months. John O. Brennan, a former director of the Central Intelligence Agency joined us on the show this morning to discuss all.

A defective detective investigates the case of an abducted woman, and the ripples left by that crime in this weeks boxed. John Fardy tells us about Department Q.

Big spend on 12 new fighter jets to hold nuclear bombs while Keir Starmer is one week away from his one-year anniversary. All to discuss with Enda Brady TRT World Presenter.

Last week Fine Gael launched its ‘Building a Better Dublin’ party document.  But one section has come up for criticism from Dublin Bus the transport section. The first paragraph of the transport section includes the line: “and they can endanger pedestrians.” Joining Pat to discuss is Blake Boland, Spokesperson for Dublin Bus and the author of the document, James Geoghegan, Fine Gael TD and Spokesperson for Dublin. 

Have the US military fabricated evidence of alien technology and allowed rumors to fester to cover up real secret-weapons programs.  David Robert Grimes, Author and disinformation expert discusses all with Pat this morning.

Night and Day a family friendly festival at Lough Key in County Roscommon is now in its 4th year. Tickets are still available with a line up of  KT Tunstall, The Stunning, José González, Paul Brady,  Something Happens and many more.  Henry McKean went backstage and met organisers Coillte who have built the festival into Lough Key Forest Park. 

Is the end of the AIDS epidemic in sight? A very interesting discussion with Prof Luke O'Neill. Luke also tells Pat about the ongoing roll out of a vaccine against malaria.

This week, Jo Linehan debunks all the myths surrounding everything and anything that is compostable or biodegradable. Do your tea bags go in the bin or does they contain microplastics? And what about dog poo. All to discuss with Jo this morning.

After twelve days of fighting with Iran, and claiming a strong victory, where does Bejamin Netanyahu’s political stock lie in Israel? Has he been boosted by this short campaign? And what does it mean for the war in Gaza? Mitchell Barak, a former aide to Benjamin Netanyahu joins us to discuss.

Mortifications, loneliness, working day and night. Anne Marie Allen, who was recruited to Opus Dei at the age of 15 and escaped after 7 years has written a book on her on her life as a fifteen-year-old in Opus Dei 'Serve My Lost Years at the Heart of Ireland’s Opus Dei'

An Taoiseach Micheal Martin travels to Brussels for the EU summit today where Israel sanctions are expected to be opposed. We get the latest with based author and journalist Lara Marlowe.

Bunny Mellon, socialite and gardener, and designer of the White House Rose Garden - which President Trump is now paving over -- is the focus of this week's Garden Stories with Diarmuid Gavin.Listen here.

June is Hidradenitis Suppurativa awareness month but its a disease that is not commonly known. Its a disease that often results in inescapable reality for those living with causing chronic pain, so what exactly is it? Selene Daly, Dermatology Nurse Specialist joins the show to discuss.

Brendan Gleeson joins Pat from St Francis hospice in Raheny, as Brendan is backing a €20m campaign to fundraise for a major build at the site, as Brendan describes hospices as a ‘beacon’ of goodness amidst a time of negativity.  Brendan's parents both spent their final days in St Francis hospice. Listen to all the great conversation here.

Farmers are accusing vegan food producers of “hijacking” traditional farming terms to sell their products. Irish farmers have welcomed the move by the European Parliament to restrict vegetarian and vegan food producers from using the terms 'sausage,' 'burger' or 'schnitzel' on their products. But is it a step too far? Denis Drennan President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association joins Pat to discuss.

As the strawberries are sliced and the grass courts are prepped, Wimbledon is officially upon us!  While the world tunes in to watch backhands, break points, and centre court showdowns, we’re serving up something a little different today cinema with a serious smash. Whether it’s gripping rivalries, real-life legends, or laugh-out-loud mockumentaries, tennis has inspired some truly ace films.So, here are the top 10 tennis films that have captured the drama in this week's Inside Hollywood.Listen here.

Minister Daragh O’Brien revealed today that the government will not reach their EV targets by 2030, with only 630,000 expected on the roads by the end of the decade – is this a surprise? Also what road safety tips are needed for farmers driving tractors? Conor Faughnan, Transport commentator, joins Pat to discuss.Listen here.

NATO leaders are currently arriving in The Hague for a two day NATO conference. Donald Trump has just been welcomed by NATO Chief Mart Rutte. The latest from Suzanne Lynch, Brussels Bureau Chief with Bloomberg , with analysis from Brett Bruen, President of the Global Situation Room and former Director of Global Engagement at the White House during the Obama Presidency. 

In the Green Scene this week, Dr Ruth Freeman looks A prairie dog is a small, burrowing rodent that looks a bit like a chunky squirrel. They live in the American Great Plains where you might see little furry heads popping up from mounds of dirt, looking around, and then letting out a sharp, yipping high-pitched call which sounds like a bark (which gives them their “dog” moniker). New research is revealing that curlews, a species of grassland bird, use the dog’s bark as an alarm system to stay safe. Listen to the Green Scene here.

The Inquiry into the Omagh Bombings recommenced yesterday with Opening Statements. It followed the personal stories that were shared in the first part of the inquiry earlier this year.  Amanda Ferguson brings us the latest.   Listen here.

Shark fins, ivory, alternative medicines - know the law for the items you can and can’t bring back to the country from your holidays with Christopher O’Sullivan TD, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity.Listen here for more.

Gregg Carlstom, Middle East Correspondent for The Economist joins Pat as US media quoted people associated with the defence intelligence agency findings as saying the US strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's nuclear bases. Iran's nuclear programme would just be set back a couple of months, according to the report.   US President Donald Trump denies the US media reports. Listen here.

With news that US embassy wants 'every social media username of past five years' on new visa applications. The move has been heavily criticized by Taoiseach Micheál Martin who described it as “excessive”. So how can you prepare before heading to the US? Jess Kelly, Technology Correspondent with Newstalk tells us all. 

Billionaire tech tycoon Jeff Bezos and Laura Sanchez are set to hold an opulent three-day wedding in Venice this week. However the wedding is being met with protests from locals. Nick Pisa, Senior Global Reporter with the Daily Mail tells us more.

Going to cabinet this morning, there is a new bill to expand HIQA’s authority over public and private hospitals, the Occupied Territories Bill that will ban the importation of west bank goods and Minister Jack Chambers is set to warn his cabinet colleagues that they’re responsible for ensuring value for money in their departments.  Pat was joined on the show by Sean Defoe, Newstalk's Political Correspondent to give us the latest. 

After a brutal assault by a serving soldier and a court ruling that favours her attacker’s career over her trauma. Limerick woman Natasha O’Brien becomes the face of a national reckoning. This documentary tells her story confronting a broken justice system and uniting with fellow survivors to demand change. Natasha O'Brien joined Pat in studio this morning.

Following on from the RTÉ Investigates programme that discovered the alleged abuse and neglect in nursing homes run by Emeis Ireland, over 230 allegations of abuse were made against the two nursing homes featured in the programme.Lisa O'Connell is a Founder and Managing Director of Forus training and she has seen a surge in care homes using forged documentation to enroll unqualified individuals. Lisa joined Pat this morning on the show.

As Israel accuses Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement announced overnight, both countries are still recovering after the overnight attacks before the ceasefire was announced. The latest from Tel Aviv with Journalist Paul Kearns. 

A new HSE deal has been made where healthcare staff will be set to work weekends to reduce pressure on hospital trolleys and beds.  We get reaction to this with Dr Chris Luke, Retired Consultant in emergency medicine and host of the Irish Medical Lives Podcast.

The leaving cert holiday, a word that parents fear the most. After a stressful few weeks of exams for sixth-year students, they can finally start to relax. and one-way students like to destress after exams is by going on their ‘sixth year holiday’, a rite of passage for most students.Travel expert Sarah Slattery and Jen Hogan Irish Times Journalist and mother of seven to talk about the worries and stress that comes with their child going on their leaving cert holiday and also the tips everyone going abroad should be aware of. 

Donald Trump has just said in a post on Truth Social: "The ceasefire is now in effect. Please do not violate it! As a reminder, Israel has not publicly accepted the ceasefire proposal. Iran state TV announced earlier that a ceasefire had been "imposed" on Israel.All to discuss with Scott Lucas, Professor and Political analyst at the Clinton Institute, University College Dublin.

Our expert, Dr. Bronagh Keane is our expert today and she gives advice on how to get your teeth wedding ready.All with thanks to Hidden Hearing.

As global tensions rise with Iran, are we secure here in Ireland? We discuss  Lieutenant Col. (Ret.) Marie Gleeson, Managing Director of Namvar Leadership and Blue Economy Advocate and also Cathal Berry, Former Army Ranger and Member of the Defence Forces.

With the registration for 252 cars, what new cars can we expect in the summer months? Motoring Editor Ger Herbert talks through some of the brand new cars hitting dealerships this summer like the Hyundai IONIQ 9 or the Kia EV4.

Can a name shape your future? Florence Knapp's debut novel ‘The Names’ explores the different possibilities a name could give someone. Speaking to Pat all about her new book was author Florence Knapp.

In recent years big service stations have popped up across Ireland's road network. In the past before motorways, you would stop in a village for a break and find a pub. Now it's all change. With petrol pumps and as many EV charging points and multiple restaurant choices. Henry McKean met travellers from across Ireland at Junction 14 Mayfield in Kildare. He sent this snapshot in time at one of Ireland's busiest service stations.     

Lot’s of action from the weekend starting off with Dublin with a double win beating limerick in the hurling championship quarter final and getting the better of Cork in the football knock-out stages while Damien Duff makes a shock exit from Shelbourne.Off The ball’s Colm Boohig looks back on the weekend of sport.

After the United States struck Iran’s nuclear sites on the weekend, there has been a spectrum of reaction within the United States from those who support the action to those who are vehemently opposed. We get the latest from Senior Director of News, WSHU Public Radio Terry Sheridan and with analysis from Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford and Global Security Consultant with Oxford Research Group Paul Rogers.

Frustrated house buyers in Dublin are once again turning to commuter counties as first-time purchasers search for affordability. That’s according to the latest Irish independent REA average house price index.Seamus Carthy, REA spokesman discussed the findings with Pat this morning.

Tensions in the middle east have reached an all time high after us military strikes destroyed three Iranian nuclear sites. We discuss the events of the weekend with Alastair Campbell, Host of The Rest Is Politics and Former Downing Street Director of Communications and Strategy for Tony Blair and Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor with The Economist.

We take alook back on the stories of the week on our Friday Forum. Joining Pat today was Mary Fitzpatrick Senator in Dublin Central. Seanad Spokesperson on Dublin, Dublin City Taskforce, Local Government and Heritage, Peadar Tóibín, Aontú TD for Meath West and John Lee, Executive Editor Irish Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. 

Israel and Iran enters its second week of conflict as the Israeli military issue another warning of incoming missiles from Iran this morning. With the latest on the situation we heard from Paul Kearns, journalist based in Tel Aviv and Gershon Baskin former Israeli hostage negotiator.

The Lions face Argentina in the Aviva stadium tonight before travelling down under to take on the Western Force. A round of fixtures in the League of Ireland also kicks off tonight with bohemians facing Waterford FC.  And it’s a football championship weekend which means lots of fixtures to look forward to. Dublin play cork in the preliminary quarter finals while the Tailteann cup semi-finals take place in Croke park.  Off The Ball’s Colm Boohig looks ahead to the weekend of sport.

New research shows that Ireland is now the second most expensive country in the European Union. We discuss this research with Emma Howard, Economist and Lecturer at TU Dublin and Emily Keegan, Newstalk Reporter.

This weekend will be 6 months since Ireland’s first medically supervised injection centre opened in Dublin’s south inner city. Operated by Merchant’s Quay Ireland, it’s been used more than 4-thousand times. Our reporter Emma Tyrrell visited the Riverbank Centre to find out more about the 18 month pilot.

From 27 weeks to 18.4 weeks, the driving test wait list has finally been reduced. The RSA action plan set out a series of actions to bring the average wait time down. This included expanding testing hours, training new testers and even building new driving test centers in Drogheda and Sandyford, which are due to be open soon. All to discuss with Brendan Walsh, chief operations officer of the RSA.