Highlights From Moncrieff

A restaurant in Cheshire in England has just launched its first ever water menu, curated by a dedicated Water Sommelier. But, what exactly does that entail?That man, Doran Binder, joins guest host John Fardy to discuss his role.

After careful analysis, the age-old mystery over exactly how the enormous monoliths at Stonehenge were lugged all the way from Wales to Wiltshire may at last be explainable.Professor Jane Evans, Honorary Research Associate with the British Geological Survey, has been studying this, and joins guest host John Fardy to discuss.

Are you in the office every day, or do you have the luxury of working remotely?And just how close are you with your colleagues? You might have met your other half at work - or do your coworkers drive you bananas with their annoying habits?And how might AI change everything? Author Sylvia Leatham explores these questions in her debut novel ‘Chaos Theory’, and joins guest host John Fardy to discuss.

It’s that time of year when an odd quirk of modern Irish society comes to light.As our kids go back to school, we enter a period when our children are generally more formally clothed than the vast majority of the adult population.So, are school uniforms, or at least the ones we currently use outdated?Dr. Clare Moriarty has been writing about this in today’s Irish Examiner and joins guest host John Fardy to discuss.

Barbara Scully and Declan Buckley joins Sean to find solutions to listeners' life problems...

Joseph O'Connor is among six Irish ­writers to share their thoughts on Dublin’s literary history and their own writing journeys in a new video series – Dublin, One City, Many Stories – from the Irish Writers Centre. Mr O’Connor is the author of nine novels, including bestsellers Star of the Sea and Ghost Light.

Irish Times contributor Céire Sadlier joins Sean to explore why parents spend so much time talking about their children...

Joanna Fortune joins Sean to answer listeners' parenting questions...

Experimental archaeology is a field of study within archaeology that focuses on recreating past technologies, activities, and environments to better understand how people lived in the past.Sam Kean is the author of ‘Dinner with King Tut, How Rogue Archaeologists are Recreating the Sights, Smells and Tastes of Lost Civilizations’ and an Experimental Archaeologist who has spent the last 5 years going around the world and understanding how people lived in Africa to the Roman Empire and Mesoamerica.He joins Seán to discuss.

Seán’s guest is a Journalist based in Istanbul, and has spent time investigating the unusual world of leg lengthening surgery which clinics in the city provide.Ruth Michaelson has been writing about her findings in the Guardian, and joins to discuss.

The DJ Calvin Harris has shared images of his wife’s placenta encapsulation to his 9 million followers on Instagram, in the aftermath of their son’s birth. But, how does placenta encapsulation work, and are there any real benefits to consuming this often-misunderstood organ?Joining Seán to discuss is Dublin-based Doula, Krysia Lynch…

The past couple years, Ireland has made a big name for itself for its big wave surfing spots. With beaches such as Mullaghmore, Aileens and Bundoran becoming increasingly popular.Al Mennie, a big wave surfer from Derry, plays a huge role in this, but recently he's taken up a different hobby…Al Mennie, author of ‘Night Swimming: How to Swim Through the Darkness’ joins Seán to talk about night swimming, and what it entails…

The war between Russia and Ukraine has become something of a testing ground for military use of drones, and the lessons haven’t gone unnoticed elsewhere.The Lithuanian government has just announced that they will be teaching over 20,000 people including children to construct and man such drones…Lisa O’Carroll has been covering this story for the Guardian, and joins Seán to discuss.

With the Irish Presidential election coming up, normal everyday people are being urged to speak up for democratic principles. Elections are a charged environment, and a degree of misinformation and disinformation is inevitable.On top of this, a Europe-wide survey reveals that fewer than 60% of young people in Europe believe that democracy is the best form of government, which suggests the foundational trust democracy relies on is eroding…So, what is the cause of this, and what is a citizen’s role in a democracy?Dr Eileen Culloty is the Assistant Professor in the School of Communications and Deputy Director in DCU’s Institute for Media, Democracy and Society, and she joins Seán to discuss.

The Correct the Map Campaign is encouraging governments and organisations to stop using the Mercator Projection in favour of a map that more accurately represents land area.Joining Seán to unpack this is Gerry Kearns, Geography Professor at Maynooth University...

Why do many of us have the fear of missing out? What is it that makes us feel we need to be somewhere, and does social media magnify it?Henry McKean has been out asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss.

While data shows us that women continue to carry the domestic burden in the home, a new phenomenon is gathering pace: ’mankeeping’. But, what is it, and how does it affect both women and men?Joining Seán to discuss is Margaret Ward, Leadership Consultant and Irish Times Business Columnist, who has been writing about this…

Even with it being near the end of the summer, looking after your garden as it deals with high temperatures can be a challenge. So, what’s the best course of action?Joining Seán to discuss is Garden Designer Peter Dowdall…

This year marks 50 years of diplomatic relationship between China and The EU.In 1975, just a couple of years after Ireland had joined what was the European Economic Community (EEC) at the time, the block opened up diplomatic relations with China.50 years later, in a much-changed world, how is that relationship holding up?Zhao Xiyuan is the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland and joins Seán to discuss.

Humans like Jazz. At least some of them do anyway.But, do cows? It’s one of the great questions of our time, and the fine people on TikTok have been working night and day to find us an answer!So what happens when you play jazz, or any other music for that matter, to cows?Charles Goadby is a Dairy Farmer, and joins Seán to discuss.