Highlights From Moncrieff

One of the highlights of the Balmoral Show this year, one of Ireland’s largest agricultural shows which is currently taking place in Co. Antrim, is the JCB Dancing Diggers.These enormous, powerful machines are manipulated by their highly trained drivers to dance to music. Joining Seán to discuss is Matt Lucas, Captain of the JCB Dancing Diggers Team…Image: Balmoral Show

An odd reality of urban life is that although those who reside in big cities are surrounded by other people, they rarely get to know a lot of their neighbours.This was also the experience of Paweł Łoziński, until he decided to start greeting passers by from his balcony.Paweł Łoziński is the Director of The Balcony Movie. He joins Seán to discuss.Image: MUBI

A record number of Irish beaches have been awarded with a Blue Flag, announced this morning. But, what exactly does a blue flag mean, and where are the best beaches in Ireland?Joining Seán to discuss is Caroline Delaney, Outdoors Editor for the Irish Examiner…Image: Beach Awards

A new event at the GPO Museum seeks to highlight the contribution of the LGBTQ community to the struggle for Irish independence.Joining Seán to discuss is Caitriona Travers, Tour Guide at the GPO Museum...

An apparent copy of the Magna Carta, bought by Harvard university in 1946 for next to nothing, has, after extensive analysis, turned out to be an original.Joining Seán to discuss is David Carpenter, Professor of Medieval History at King's College London...

Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to go more than a few minutes without checking your phone and to go completely offline?Rosanna Irwin, Founder of Samsú, will be hosting Dublin’s first phone-free event this Sunday and joins Seán to discuss the digital detox.

Tonight, Ireland will compete in the Eurovision semi-final, with Emmy Kristiansen performing ‘Laika Party’.But, have you ever wondered what it takes to win Eurovision?Joe Bennet, Musicologist, Writer, and Researcher analysed hundreds of Eurovision finalists, and joins Seán to talk to us about what songs work best for Eurovision…

While you might think the pot of neon green slime you got for your godchild is the greatest gift ever, spare a thought for the parents who will inevitably have to clean it up after it’s been tossed aside. So, what are the worst presents you can get a child? Journalist Niamh O’Reilly has been writing about this in the Irish Independent, and joins Seán to discuss.

As a Jewish and Irish woman, Seán’s guest feels that the non-Zionist perspective from her community has not been properly represented in the public discourse. Ria Czerniak-LeBov, an artist based in Dublin, joins to discuss.

While Ireland’s soldiers who died on the fields of Flanders were long unacknowledged, this has shifted over the past while. For 11 years, Seán’s guest has been on a mission to change our national approach to the sacrifice of these men. She recently undertook a project to visit the final resting places of 678 souls from Co. Sligo who died during the conflict in France and Belgium, travelling 2,000 kilometres between 42 cemeteries.Simone Hickey, Historian and author of ‘Bringing Them Home’, joins to discuss.

We know by now that It’s important for all of us to do what we can to curb the negative effects of climate change.Of course, some people can do more than others. Your emissions can vary wildly depending on where you live in the world, your socio-economic status and apparently, your gender…John Gibbons is the Founder of the climatechange.ie website. He joins Seán to discuss.

The TV phenomenon that is the Traitors has now announced its celebrity version line up, coming in the autumn.Joining Seán to examine it all is Orlaith Condon, Co-Host of Pod Save Us, the reality TV recap podcast…Image: BBC

A Kashmir Sapphire sold at an auction in Adams in Dublin for €550,000. That is the most expensive price ever seen in Ireland for such a ring.Claire-Laurence Mestrallet, Head of the Jewellery and Watch Department at Adam’s, who had the sapphire and diamond ring tested, joins Seán to discuss.Image: Adams

Are you up like a lark and jumping out of bed first thing to start the day?Well, you may just have been influenced or targeted on social media by some of the ludicrously extreme morning routines that people seem to be sharing – navigating super productive 5-9’s before their 9-5...Health Psychologist Aideen Stack joins Seán to weigh in…

A new book explores the history of the far right in Ireland, from the Italian community in Dublin in the 1920’s, to the Dublin Riots more recently.Joining Seán to discuss is Pádraig Óg Ó Ruairc, Author of ‘Burn Them Out! A History of Fascism and the Far Right in Ireland’...Image: Bloomsbury Publishing

Have you ever wondered how fair the coin toss actually is?Research has shown that perception of how fair the outcome is depends entirely on who led the toss.For more on this, Seán is joined by Michael Salter-Townshend, Assistant Professor of Statistics at UCD.

The lack of public toilet facilities in Dublin city has been an ongoing issue for many years. However, the Green Party are pushing for more and more public buildings to open their doors for those people who need a bathroom break. But, how does the system work?Joining Seán to discuss is Feljin Jose, a Dublin City Councillor for the Green Party...

Last week Tánaiste Simon Harris said that a ban on social media for under 16s is under serious consideration.But, around a year ago, the primary schools in the town of St Albans, just north of London, took the collective decision to address the problem and pleaded with parents to delay giving their children smartphones until they turned 14.This kick started a movement in the town to restrict phone access to children.Joining Seán for more on this is Head of Schools at Cunningham Hill Schools, Matthew Tavender.

Beauty trends come and go over the years and what may have been considered the height of beauty in the past can often seem ridiculous in the fullness of time.With that in mind we should probably ask ourselves, why on Earth are some men shaving their eyelashes?Meredith Jones is the Director of the Pan-University Institute for Communities and Society and has been speaking about this. She joins Seán to discuss.

A new book about fairy forts saw the authors traipsing up and down the country to find these mysterious places. But, what are they for and why shouldn’t they be disturbed? Joining Seán to discuss is Jo Kerrigan, a Specialist in Ancient Crafts and Folklore and Co-Author of ‘Irish Fairy Forts: Portals to the Past’...Image: O’Brien Press