The Pat Kenny Show

This week marks the 10 year anniversary since the Marriage Equality referendum was passed. It was a day of joy and celebration but a decade on there are still a number of barriers facing same sex couples, especially when it comes to starting a family. Sarah Stone McDevitt and and Shane Lennon De Miguel reflect on the momentous occasion.

Rents continue to rise, passing and average of two thousand euros for the first time. This is according to Daft.ie’s latest quarterly report. Pat discusses these findings with Maurice Deverill, Committee Member, Irish Property Owners Association.

We take a look back on the stories of the week on our Friday Forum. Joining Pat in studio this morning was Emer Currie, Fine Gael Dublin West and Assistant Government Chief Whip, Roderic O'Gorman, Green Party TD Dublin West  and Harry McGee, political correspondent with the Irish Times.   

The Irish Dental Association are hosting their annual conference this week. Dr Mairead Browne Dentist and Facial Aesthetic practitioner  joins us to talk about the latest trends in facial aesthetics.

The technique ‘spatchcock’ chicken is simple once mastered, a great and cheap way to cook a whole chicken on the bbq, a Simple Ceasar salad and tomato sald is a winning combination. Gareth Mullins, Executive Chef of The Anantara Marker Hotel tell us how to prepared the perfect weekend dish.

With the leaving cert just around the corner, lots will be asking are we putting our children through too much stress? But is it important to still have a certain amount of stress in our children’s lives so that we expose them to normal stress and anxiety they may experience in adulthood? Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist Colman Noctor discusses.

Since last November, there has been over 54 tonnes of dumped waste removed from the upland areas of Dublin and Wicklow. This waste equates to over 1,700 bags of rubbish. The group responsible for this removal is the Pure mile environmental and community initiative.Joining Pat this morning was Ian Davis, PURE project manager.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will today head to Istanbul for peace talks on Ukraine. Is there hope of progress towards peace talks? All to discuss with Paul Rogers, Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies, Bradford University.

Crystal Palace are looking to secure their first trophy in over 32 years in the FA cup final this Saturday. In rugby, Munster are in action tonight in the URC, and in Gaelic games the first fixtures of the senior All Ireland Football and Camogie championships start this weekend. 

Disappointment and reflection as Ireland fail to qualify for Eurovision final. Henry McKean reports live from Eurovision 2025 on a night that didn't go well for Ireland,

New figures from the Central Bank show that a record €2.5 billion was taken out in personal loans by Irish households. A large amount of loans for car and house loans. We discuss these figure with Paul Merriman, CEO of Fairstone Ireland aka Ask Paul.

Brian Johnson, known by his online alias Liver King, is an American fitness social media influencer and businessman. He is known for promoting what he calls an "ancestral lifestyle". He features in a new tv show called 'The Liver King' and John Fardy tells Pat all about it.

This week sees the anniversary of the first-ever Formula One race and we learn about Joe Kelly, the only Irish driver involved that day. Cameron Hill from Off The Ball tells us all.

The extraordinary story of the Irish POW who survived Japanese Capture on the River Kwai. Fergus  Kennedy author of 'Ballybunion To The river Kwai joined Pat this morning on the show.

Backlash brewing from some TDs on inheritance tax for childless couples. Taoiseach is in Tirana for the European Political Community on Friday – the political version of Eurovision. Newstalk’s political correspondent Sean Defoe joins us to discuss calls to reform the current inheritance tax and more. 

A recent study published in the eminent medical journal Annals of Medicine says that the damage that smoking, heavy drinking and lack of exercise does begins in your mid 30s. It’s not surprising that a lifetime of these things is damaging. Professor Luke O Neill , Professor of Biochemistry at the school of Immunology, Trinity College tell us more.   

Donald Trump is continuing his Middle Eastern tour, traveling today to the USA. On his first leg in Saudi Arabia, Trump signed an arms deal with the gulf nation and met with the Syrian leader before travelling onwards to Qatar. Full analysis of the trip and more with Lorcan Nyhan Head of Training with The Communications Clinic, Columnist with The Sunday Independent.

Jo Linehan Editor of CLIMATE, Sunday Times Ireland and Sustainability columnist Irish Country Magazine takes a deep dive into the beauty industry. We hear which animals are still tested on, how to identify beauty and personal care items that aren't tested on animals and Irish companies leading the change for cruelty free products.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will not travel to Turkey today for peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It comes after Putin himself first floated the idea of a Turkey peace meeting. Donncha Ó Beacháin Professor of Politics, School of Law and Government, DCU discussed this further with Pat.

Building Dreams in the Dublin Mountains This week on Garden Stories, we meet a man who took a winding path home and found a way to turn design, craftsmanship and a touch of geometry into a thriving garden business. Pat spoke to Seamus Daly Founder of Geodesic Domes.All with thanks to Tirlán.

This Sunday the 11th of May a new state-of-the-art hospital will open in Valencia, Spain. This new hospital will be able to accommodate patients waiting on orthopedic treatments in Ireland as part of the EU Cross Border Directive. Speaking to Pat this morning was Paul Byrne, Chief Operating Officer, Healthcare Abroad and also Lisa Corcoran, Fitness Instructor, Maynooth, Co. Kildare  who recently had a operation. 

Long waiting lists for the driving tests, Ford fire risks and why The European Union’s plan to phase out sales of gas and diesel cars by 2035 could be in trouble. All to discuss with Conor Faughnan, Transport Commentator.

The first of the two Eurovision semi-finals took place in the Swiss city of Basel last night; Henry McKean joins us with all the highlights.

In cinema, some directors burst onto the scene with a film so iconic, so culturally seismic, that it seems certain they’re destined for greatness. Then nothing or worse a spectacular unraveling. Lisa Cannon brings us some extraordinary examples where the promise of genius gave way to artistic exile, industry politics, or sheer bad luck.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is tasked with supporting the most vulnerable in society. But what is its full remit? Does it meet up to what it is supposed to do? All to discuss with Kate Duggan, Tusla CEO.

Dr Ruth Freeman Director of Research for Society For Research Ireland discusses chocolate and how the compound that is lethal to dogs might be healthy for humans and lab grown chocolate. Also we hear about a new universal anti-venom for snake bite.All with thanks to Repak.

Tax cuts and cost of living measures are all unlikely in this year’s budget if no deal is reached between the US and the UK on tariffs. Harry McGee Political Correspondent, The Irish Times explains all to us this morning.

Sara Kennedy, wedding expert and owner of theaislebysarakennedy joins us to advise how to avoid disaster this wedding season. From family feuds and finance to fights with the bridal party, Sara is here to help! 

Israeli American hostage Edan Alexander returns to Israel after 19 months of Hamas capture. To discuss this and more Pat spoke to Dana Erlich, Israeli Ambassador to Ireland.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: An Engineering Marvel of New Slim Hardware Innovation -A bold addition to Galaxy S series with powerful performance, pro-grade camera and Galaxy AI. Newstalk's Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly reviews this and gives an update on the Marks and Spencer cyber attack.

Nearly 60% of Irish adults are classified as overweight or obese, and one in five children and young people are as well, so how do you talk to your children about being overweight? We get advice and guidance from Malie Coyne, Clinical Psychologist, Author and Broadcaster.

The health minister Jennifer Carrol MacNeill has issued letters to families whose loved ones underwent hip dysplasia procedures in children health Ireland hospitals since 2010.  It is believed that many thousands of youngsters could have had operations that in retrospect were unnecessary. To get more insight to this Pat spoke to David Cullinane Sinn Fein Health Spokesperson.

On the 20th of December 2004, £26.5 million was stolen from The Northern Bank in Belfast in what was then the biggest bank heist in Irish and British history.  A new book by Glenn Patterson The Northern Bank Job: The Heist and How They Got Away with It details what happened and Glenn joined Pat on the show this morning.

Teachers face loss of 5% pay increase if Leaving Cert reforms blocked. We get the latest on this with  Kieran Christie, President of the ASTI who spoke to Pat this morning.

Aer Lingus’s newest US flight has just taken off to Indianapolis, Indiana. Here to talk about it, and what it’s like to travel to the US at the moment, is Irish Independent travel editor, Pól Ó Conghaile.All with thanks to Ryanair.

Dr Catherine Healy, Historian-in-Residence, EPIC, Irish Immigration Museum looks back on 100 years of the Irish passport and how it became the most powerful one in the world.

Now the central bank report has revealed that Ireland is a nation of savers, but are we saving the right way? What are the other alternatives to save that will put even more money in your pocket? Our expert Managing Director of Metis Ireland provides all the tips on how to save effectively.All with thanks to Hidden Hearing.

An Estate in the Balgriffin area is in a transition period of being taken over by Dublin City Council and residents feel they are being left in limbo. Our reporter Josh Crosbie has been looking into this.

In August of 2016, Alan Hawe murdered his wife Clodagh and sons Liam, Niall and Ryan before taking his own life. The years that followed for Clodagh’s sister, Jacqueline Connolly, and her family were filled with numerous meetings with Gardaí, politician and the Commissioner in a quest for justice which eventually culminated in a serious crime review. Jacqueline Connolly joined Pat on the show.

US President Donald Trump is set to receive a “Palace in the sky” luxury jet for Air Force One from Qatari royal family. Kevin Byrne, retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Air Corps, Airport safety and security auditor, Aviation Expert brings us the details about the plane.

President Michael D Higgins has lead tributes to Garda Kevin Flatley who was killed while carrying out a speed checkpoint in Dublin yesterday. An Taoiseach Micheál Martin joined Pat to pay his tribute.

Sarah McGuinness, Political Correspondent, Irish Daily Mail, Lynn Boylan MEP, Sinn Féin, Dublin and Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee, Fianna Fáil, Finglas West  make up our Friday Forum this week.

Entrepreneur turned animal advocate Niall Harbison swapped the corporate world for a life dedicated to saving street dogs in Thailand. His new book tells and extraordinary tale of one special dog who changed his life and the lives of thousands more. Niall joined Pat this morning on the show.

Gareth Mullins talks through two Asian dishes including Thai spiced king prawns and scallop skewer.

The Cistercian college in Roscrea is one of Ireland’s leading boarding schools for boys but this is all about to change as the college goes co-ed.  We hear all about this change with Colm Moloney President of Cistercian College Roscrea and also Fr Malachy Patron of Cistercian College Roscrea.

Pope Leo XIV spent much of his ordained life in Peru working as an Augustinian missionary, and also two terms as Prior General of the Augustinians. So what is he like as a person? Fr Robert Dueweke OSA has known him since his studying days and tells us about him and Eoin Gormley, an Irish student in Rome met him just last year.

Last night was a success for Manchester United as Amorin’s side booked an all-English Europa League final with Tottenham in Bilbao on 21 May. Also, Cork face Waterford in the Munster Senior Camogie final following the skort controversy. Colm Boohig, Broadcaster Off The Ball looks ahead to the weekend of sport.

Fifteen years on since fair deal scheme and while its proven largely successful, difficulties are starting to seep through the cracks. Small nursing homes are forced into closure and family farms are on the brink of losing their livelihood. 15 years on, is the Fair Deal Scheme still fit for purpose? Pat was joined on the show by Fred Hickey, Director of Fair Deal Advisors .

A new Pope is now elected and the Conclave have chosen Cardinal Robert Prevost. Henry McKean is live in Rome to bring reaction after the white smoke was released.

Cameron Hill from Off The Ball tells the story of the 4 by 1 mile relay record set by Irish runners at UCD in 1985.