The Pat Kenny Show

Questions surrounding the future of our energy supply are being raised again. It comes as the Taoiseach and Ministers have voiced their support for an LNG facility of some kind. Given this, our reporter Josh Crosbie travelled to North Kerry to meet with those who are for and against the proposed Shannon LNG project. 

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan announced plans to establish register for those convicted of serious sexual assault or domestic violence. The call has been welcomed by survivors of domestic violence but there are concerns over the anonymity of the victims with a public register. To discuss this further Jonathan was joined on the show by Sarah McGuinness, Political Correspondent with The Irish Daily Mail and also Nicola Hanney, survivor of domestic abuse.

Prime Minister Starmer and President Trump meet in Washington following announcement to increase UK defense spending. Joining us to discuss this and more news from the UK was Enda Brady, TRT Presenter and International TV News Anchor.

Last week it was indicated that planning rules around cabins and modular homes would be relaxed. We ask how viable is it to live in a modular home.Speaking to Jonathan this morning was Paula Donohue has been a owner of a modular home  in Taum for around two years and also Sean Brett founder of Steel Tech Modular Homes to discuss.

Yesterday Donald Trump announced his intention to impose 25% on imports on goods from the EU. What will this mean for Ireland? To discuss further Jonathan spoke to Pat Leahy Political Editor with the Irish Times.

This week Lisa Canon takes us through Low Budget and Indie Films made for $1 million and less which won BIG awards and made millions.

Plans for a multi-million euro outdoor swimming pool in Dublin’s North Inner City are making waves again. However, locals say the money could be better well spent, to tackle crime and improve the lives of those living near the proposed site. Josh Crosbie has been looking into this and reports for us.

The Sorrow and the Loss – Journalist and Author Martin Dillon presents a vital exploration of the toll Northern Ireland’s bloody conflict took on women from his new book ‘The Sorrow and the Loss’. 

This week Diarmuid Gavin tells us the history of Derek Jarman’s garden Prospect Cottage. Derek Jarman was never a man to follow convention. A filmmaker, artist, writer, and activist, his life was one of relentless creativity and defiance. his artistic journey took an unexpected turn when he found himself on the windswept shingle of Dungeness, a desolate landscape on the Kent coast, dominated by a looming nuclear power station and battered by salt-laden winds. Most people would have seen it as barren, inhospitable. Jarman saw possibility. When he overheard talk of a small black fisherman’s cottage for sale, he bought it on impulse and named it Prospect Cottage 

In 2027 the Ryder Cup golf tournament will return to Ireland in Adare Manor. Hotels warned not to price gouge ahead of Ryder cup. Director of Hospitality and Guest Experience at Ryder Cup Europe Alan Evans. We discuss this further with Hotels warned not to price gouge ahead of Ryder cup.

Today is National Slow Down Day, which is something that the Garda do a few times per year on designated days. That means we will see a large amount of extra speed straps and camera vans deployed today. Pat spoke to Conor Faughnan Transport Consultant.

New research from Tesco Ireland into families benefitting from the Stronger Starts Food programme reveals that almost 9 out of 10 parents surveyed have seen their children eating healthier at home The initiative sees Tesco provide free packs of fresh fruit and vegetables to thousands of children in 240 DEIS primary schools across Ireland every week. Natasha Adams CEO Tesco Ireland  explained more about the programme to Pat this morning.

Between surrogacy and IVF there are so many options and questions for fertility but where do people start? Nikki Dwyer started the Future fertility show to help people navigate their options when it comes to starting a family with help of experts like Dr Ahmed Omar from Beacon CARE Fertility.

A new plan to deal with violence in the capital has been launched by social democrats, with knife surrender bins being part of the proposal, Gary Gannon tells us more. 

Apple has announced that airpods will be the latest technology to provide clinical-grade hearing aid. Newstalk Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly brings us the details.

Saturday 1 March is DSPCA Foster Day, in which the DSPCA raise awareness over the importance of fostering animals to prepare them for adoption into their forever homes. Many animals, including puppies, kittens, and pregnant and sick animals needing rest are available for fostering. For more on the foster day Pat spoke to Nicola Gibbons, DSPCA Dog Foster Coordinator. 

Yesterday Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan was leading a European Parliament delegation to visit Palestine as part of the Relations Committee with Palestine of which she is chair. In order to travel into Palestine she and her delegation had to fly through Israel. Upon landing, however, she and the group she was travelling with were held in the airport and refused entry. To get the full story Lynn Boylan joins us from Brussels.

Dublin’s O’Connell Street is lined with a number of statues that all have one thing in common they are all men. A proposal was put forward by Dublin City Council in 2018 for a statue of Constance Markievicz, but proposals have since changed to another statue. Is it time to have a female statue on O'Connell Street?Pat discussed this further with Councillor Cat O’Driscoll, Social Democrats.

French President Emanuel Macron yesterday met with Donald Trump at the White House on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron had warnings for Trump on Putin’s trustworthiness. To look back on this meeting and what said was Patrick Bury, Senior Security lecturer at the University of Bath, Former NATO Analyst and Army officer.

Pat Divilly, author of ‘‘Shadow Work: A Practical Guide to Embracing Your Shadow Side, Tackling Shame And Transforming Pain Into Power’ joined Pat on the show to discuss the importance of shadow work.

A planning application has been submitted to convert the building into an International Protection Accommodation Centre.Our Chief Reporter Barry Whyte has been speaking to local residents and businesses in the Mount Street Area.

 Finance expert Paul Merriman is our expert today and he answered listeners questions on divorce finance.All with thanks to Hidden Hearing.

Bestselling children’s author Dav Pilkey joins us to discuss the success of his graphic novels and of the new spinoff movie: ‘Dog man.’ Dav is a prolific author, with more than five different kid’s series, notably among those are Dog man, Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club.

There are calls on the government to make it illegal to impersonate someone in order to trick people online, a practice known as ‘catfishing’.  Stephanie Regan, Clinical Psychotherapist talks us through the psychological dynamics and the impacts.

Liverpool is set to win another title this year as it defeats Man City. And the 6 Nations is heating up as Ireland is on track for another Grand Slam. Colm Bohig from Off The Ball looks back on the weekend of sport.

Now on his tenth day in hospital, how is the Pope’s medical condition progressing? We get the latest with Elise Ann Allen Senior Correspondent, The Crux. 

Planning rules on cabins and modular homes in back gardens could be relaxed as part of Government efforts to tackle the housing crisis. We asked are modular homes just a short-term fix to the housing and rental crisis? Pat discusses this with Orla Hegarty Architect and Assistant Professor at UCD School of Architecture, Planning & Environmental Policy and also Fionnan Sheehan, Ireland Editor with the Irish Independent.

Neale Richmond TD, Fine Gael, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Sinéad Gibney TD, Social Democrats  and also Jane Matthews , Political Correspondent with The Journal make up our Friday Forum this week.

Gareth Mullins talks us through two different recipes on cookies. An Oat cookie as well as a chew and crunch chocolate cookie.

Amazon is set to take creative control of the James Bond franchise. The change of hands was announced yesterday, and will draw to a close almost eight decades of the franchise being owned by the Broccoli dynasty. The announcement has been met with mixed reaction from fans.

Israel has said that an unknown body has been returned from Hamas in a return of hostage bodies. not one of any of the hostages. It comes after a number of bus explosions south of Tel Aviv. We get the latest on this and more with Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at LSE.

Calls increase for Zelensky to return to the negotiating table after his refusal to sign a deal on US access to Ukraine's critical minerals.  We get the latest on this with Inna Sovsun, Ukrainian MP and Deputy Leader of the Golos party. 

The 6 Nations returns this weekend, and Ireland has its sights set on a Triple Crown win against Wales. Also, the Irish Women’s football team faces off against Turkey tonight in the UEFA Women's Nations League. Colm Boohig previews with weekend of sport.

Over the past year, 6,000 cases of suspected welfare fraud was recorded with more than €14 million in public money recovered. We discuss this further with James Geoghan, Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South and also Susanne Rodgers, Research and Policy Analyst at Social Justice Ireland.

Caroline West joined Pat in studio to discuss her new book Wrong Women: Selling Sex in Monto, Dublin’s Forgotten Red Light District. She explores the lives of the women of Monto, the clientele who passed through it, and the social perceptions of such ‘fallen women.’ Her book gives a voice to the women who have been rendered invisible from the historical record.

Apple Cider Vinegar is a new six-part series on Netflix that tells the true story of Belle Gibson, an Australian influencer who falsely claimed to have cured her terminal brain cancer through alternative therapies. Set in the 2010s, the series explores the rise of wellness influencers and the impact of social media on self-care and health narratives.John Fardy tells us more about the series on this week's 'Boxed'.

Recently football fans were briefly left in the dark at Tolka Park after a floodlight failure during the League of Ireland Premier Division opener between Shelbourne and Derry City. With a growing fear that the match could be abandoned, power was thankfully restored after 45 minutes, allowing play to continue. But floodlights have long held a curious and often controversial place in history, as Off The Ball’s Cameron Hill explain.

Professor Luke O’Neill explains the asteroid sample that reveals the building blocks of life  likely came from outer space. Also the discovery of a new exoplanet that might have life. 

We've seen the Trump administration's scrubbing of references to everything from climate change to homosexuality, vaccines to contraceptives from various government websites, branded as Orwellian, a justifiable standpointBut there is a more fitting and alarming historical analogy that fits, one that gives us far more insight into the catastrophic consequences that arise when ideology trumps evidence in science: Lysenkoism. David Robert Grimes explains.

 PFAS can be found in everything from straws, beauty products to paint. We hear how to avoid them in this weeks sustainability slot with Jo Linehan, Editor of the Climate Supplement at the Sunday Times Ireland .

Since going to eFlow in 2008, motorists have paid over 2.1 billion euro in tolls on the M50, including 211 million euro last year. Meanwhile in 2024 alone, road users paid over 430 million euro at various toll bridges around the country, according to figures obtained by Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act. To dive deeper into the figures Pat was joined by Newstalk reporter Andrew Lowth.

Germany goes to the polls in a snap election called by Chancellor Olaf Scholz this Sunday. It’s expected to be a historic result for the far right, though no one is expected to go into government with them. Berlin Correspondent at The Irish Times Derek Scally brings us up to speed.

Blanket pay rises for all workers may be a thing of the past according to Morgan McKinley, with companies focusing pay rises for the most in demand roles. Peter Cosgrove, MD of Futurewise and Future of Work Expert joined Pat on the show to discuss this further.  

It’s meant to be the most important meal of the day, but what is the best option for breakfasting like a king or queen? Orla Walsh Dietician at Orla Walsh Nutrition tell us.

Planning rules for cabins and modular homes are to be relaxed to increase housing options while new Dublin €402k apartments hit the market as “affordable homes”. We discuss this and more with Karl Deeter CEO of onlineapplication.com.

Today on Green Scene, evolution in flies, and the unusual circumstances of how a baby shark was born with no dad. All to discuss with Dr Ruth Freeman Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland.All with thanks to Repak.

Dee Reddy looks at some of the movies inspired by Saturday Night Live skits on the week the show turns 50! Anchorman, Blue Brothers and Wayne’s World all feature with roots in the late night sketch comedy show.

‘Follow me, I’m delicious’ that’s the tagline of comedian and social media star Garron Noone who has amassed over 1.7m followers on both Instagram on TikTok. Garron joins us to talk his fondness for tea and passion for when people make it wrong along with journey to where he is today.

Imagine stepping into a garden where power, politics, and artistry collide. A place where kings and queens once walked, where war and diplomacy shaped the very landscape, and where a hidden tunnel of green shielded a queen from he relentless summer sun. This is Het Loo, the Dutch palace of William of Orange and Queen Mary, a Baroque masterpiece built in an era when gardens were not just for pleasure but for power.Diarmuid Gavin tells us the story of these wonderful gardens and palace.

In this week’s Commuter Slot with Conor Faughan. We look at the level of fines for e scooters and ask if its improving the situation. We highlight the 4th petrol and diesel price hike in a row and we examine why 70% of people would give up their car if they had a better public transport option.