Highlights From Moncrieff

It's a challenge for many parents to get their kids to enjoy reading books. Sean was joined by Mary McCarthy, Columnist with the Irish Independent, to discuss paying children to read.

Last week the World Transplant Games were held in England with all the athletes who were participating being organ donor recipients or dialysis patients. One of those was James Nolan, Athlete & Butcher from Kilcullen who was competing for Team Ireland and he joined Sean to discuss the event.

While most people enter romantic relationships with every intention of being loyal, a study has revealed that infidelity may be contagious. Sean was joined by Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin, to discuss why this might be.

Today we started our new ‘How To’ segment. Each week will take a topic and deep dive into it, doing all the research so you don’t have to. This week Sarah Owens, Policy Officer with Crosscare Migrant Project, joined Sean to discuss how to emigrate.

In a very significant change to sentencing structures, judges will be allowed to set out the length of time a convicted murderer will spend behind bars. While it has always been a mandatory life sentence, in reality the perpetrators spend between 18 and 20 years in jail before they get parole. As a member of Sentencing And Victim Equality, Kathleen Chada has been campaigning for a change to the laws since her two songs, Eoghan and Ruairi were murdered by their father, Sanjeev, in 2013. She joined Sean to discuss he reaction to the changes.

When it comes to elective Caesarean sections, fasting before surgery, while necessary, can see heavily pregnant women waiting without food or even liquids ,sometimes for several hours. Sean was joined by Midwife and author, Tracy Donegan, to discuss the new "sip till send" scheme, which try's to address the issue of expectant mothers waiting for long periods of time without food.

The black hornet is a six inch ‘’microdrone’’ that can enter buildings undetected. Last Wednesday Boris Johnson’s office announced that the 850 microdrones were part of a new £54 million package going to Ukraine. They will be jointly supplied with Norway, which co-produced the drone. Sean was joined by David Hambling, defence journalist and author, to discuss how these drones will work to support the war effort.

Toilet paper brand Cushelle has become the first company to remove the cardboard inner tube from its packaging in an attempt to reduce waste. Mary Fitzgerald, former presenter of How Do You Do, joined Sean to discuss what inpact this could have on children's art projects.

Open coffins are often used as part of Irish funerals. Independent columnist,Justine O’Mahony, joined Sean to discuss the conversation she had with her other half about having one at her own funeral.

The unusual case involving the personal diary of President Biden’s daughter has gained momentum as two defendants have now pleaded guilty to its theft. Joining me now to untangle all of this, and indeed the broader Biden family drama, is Ben Schreckinger, Journalist and author of The Bidens: Inside the First Family’s Fifty-Year Rise to Power...

Amid the cost of living crisis, food banks and charities are finding it increasingly difficult to make the same amount of money stretch to cover costs. Ashling Lowe is the chairperson for the Meath Food Bank, she joined Sean to discuss the abuse she experienced when there has not be enough food to meet the high demand.

James Joyce is one of Irelands most beloved writer, however he has also influenced works of literature in other parts of the world. Ellen Howley is an assistant professor at DCU’s School of English and works primarily on Irish and Caribbean poetry, she joined Sean to discuss his influence in the Caribbean.

On Saturday between 3 and 5pm 80 cyclists donned nothing but bodypaint to take part in the world naked bike ride in Cork. Spokesperson for the world naked bike ride Cork, Stephen Bolton, joined Sean to explain how it was to raise awareness for cyclists on our roads.

False widow spiders have been spreading quite rapidly across Ireland, and now a team of scientists have compared the power of its venom with that of other Northern European spiders. Dr Michel Dugon, from the Venom Systems Lab in NUI Galway is the senior author of the study, joined Sean to explain how the venom is 230 time more poisonous than our domestic eight-legged friends.

Eithne Shortall novelist, joined Sean on the show today to recap the stories making the headlines this past week.

Excitement is building in Oulu in Finland as The Air Guitar World Championships are set to start tonight. Competitors will be judged on stage presence, accuracy and airness. On the show today, Seán spoke to Justin Howards AKA Nordic Thunder who won the competition in 2012 and is judging tonight's competition.

Consultant Audiologist Mr Neel Raithatha is known online as the "Wax Whisperer" as he uploads videos online of wax removal from patients' ears. He joined Sean today to discuss his work and some of the things he's found in people's ears!

A new aquarium has been installed at the bottom of Blarney Castle in Co. Cork in an effort to show jellyfish in a more positive light. Tom Doyle, Marine Biologist in UCC joined Sean to discuss the new project.

Over the past number of years there has been a significant increase in the numbers of Irish people travelling to Turkey and Poland as so-called ‘medical tourists’ in order to get dental work done. Dr Vanessa Creaven, dentist and co-founder of Spotlight Oral Care in Galway joined Sean to explain how their has been a rise in people reporting an issue after having these procedures.

Until now it has been generally accepted that migrating insects move with the wind. Myles Menz, an entomologist at James Cook University and the Max Plank Institute, joined Sean to explain how new research carried out using tiny radio transmitter backpacks for moths, shows a different story.