Highlights From Moncrieff

Thursday will be the one year anniversary of the Israel and Lebanon ceasefire agreement.But, this has been far from a peaceful year for Lebanese people…Sally Hayden has been living in Beirut, and recently visited the South of the country where daily life is still dictated by fear of the IDF. She joins Seán to discuss.

Things can feel heightened this time of year, as the run up to Christmas leads to forced cheeriness and merriment, but for so many people, it is also the most difficult time if you are grieving or lonely…Author and artist Victoria Mary Clarke joins Seán to discuss.If any of this has affected you: you can avail of the Samaritans 24/7 Freephone Helpline - 116 123, or you can go online to alone.ie.

Seán’s guest spent two weeks aboard the Neoliner Origin, the world’s largest sailing cargo ship, for its maiden voyage from France to the US. But, could sail replace crude oil to power the world’s cargo vessels?Joining to discuss is Environmental Journalist and author of the upcoming book ‘Present Tense: How we reckon with the end of the world’, Michaela Cavanagh.

How does Ireland’s deportation system actually work?Joining Seán to discuss is Cormac O’Keefe, Security Correspondent with the Irish Examiner, who got a rare inside look into how the process actually works…

If you're in a relationship, and aren't really feeling that person a Christmas present, is this the best time to dump them? Do you have a breakup story around this time of year?Newstalk's Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss.

Golden toilets have been hitting the headlines recently, with Zelensky’s Chief of Staff under pressure after detectives found a golden toilet bowl in his lavish bathroom, while another gold toilet was sold for more than 10 million euros at auction last week…But, what is it about solid gold toilets that the rich and famous love so much?And, does Trump use a golden loo himself?Pip Rich is the Editor of Living Etcetera Magazine. He joins Seán to discuss.

Can you be a unionist and be in favour of a United Ireland?Well Seán’s guest certainly was a unionist, and has written a book called ‘The Irish Unity Dividend’.Ben Collins joins to discuss.

Seán’s guest arrived in Antarctica at the height of the Covid pandemic. Part of her role as a Doctor was to try and keep Antarctica as the last continent on earth that was free from the disease. Now, her experiences are being told in a brand new podcast series entitled ‘The Coldest Shift’.Joining to discuss is Rachel Varnam, former Medical Officer with the British Antarctic Survey…Image: Audioboom

The Italian Minister of Agriculture has called for an “immediate investigation” after he discovered a supermarket in Brussels selling jars of pre-made carbonara sauce containing pancetta and cream. So, why is he so upset?Joining Seán to discuss is Luca Di Marzio, owner of Rosa Madre Restaurant in Dublin…

Seán’s guest stopped straightening her hair a number of years ago and began to grow it out. Now, the Guinness World Records has just certified that she has the world’s largest afro.Jess Martinez joins to discuss!

A new documentary ‘Testimony’ is out in cinemas today, and tells the compelling stories of the survivors of the Magdalene laundry, in their own words…Filmmaker Aoife Kelleher has spent years making this film, and joins Seán to discuss.

Around 500 million years ago, animals first ventured out of the oceans and onto land…Since then, life has evolved in wondrous and unforeseeable ways to this new environment, with everything from dinosaurs to bats roaming around above the waves. And, in the case of ourselves, even venturing into orbit.So, could life entering the cosmos be the beginning of a similar evolutionary leap?Caleb Sharf, Astrobiologist with NASA and author of ‘The Giant Leap: Why Space Is the Next Frontier in the Evolution of Life’, joins Seán to discuss.

Today is World Philosophy Day. Seán’s guest believes that philosophy should be taught in Irish schools, just as it is in Italy, France and Germany, but why?Vittorio Bufacchi, from the Philosophy Department at University College Cork, joins to discuss…

Endurance swimmer Daragh Morgan has been making headlines as the first person to swim around Ireland. The feat took 338 hours over the course of 5 months to achieve…Daragh joins Seán to discuss his incredible achievement, and why he did it.

There’s a new authorised biography on Monty Python star Terry Jones: ‘Seriously Silly: The Life of Terry Jones’. The comedy legend’s biography features contributions from all of the surviving Pythons.Joining Seán to discuss is author Robert Ross, a personal friend of Terry’s, and now also his Biographer.

The Republic of Ireland are playing the Czech Republic on March 26th in a World Cup play off, which makes us want to go down memory lane…Are you jumping on the bandwagon?Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been out asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss.

The 26th year of the IFI French Film Festival kicks off today, featuring 22 Irish premieres and 34 titles across the twelve days. But, what else can people expect at Ireland’s largest French cultural event?Joining guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss is David O’Mahoney, Head of Cinema Programming at the Irish Film Institute.Image: IFI

As the cold weather starts to bite, many listeners will be reaching for their winter woolies, but with complex labelling, how can you know if what you’re buying is genuinely wool rich, and how exactly should you care for your woolen garments? Joining guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss is Environmental Activist Moya Doogan, who runs the @environmentaleadai sustainable fashion media account…

Are Irish fizzy drinks having a revival? Ali Dunworth, Food and Drinks Writer, and author of ‘A Compendium of Irish Pints’, seems to think that minerals are back and on the up.Ali joins guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss.

Recently, Kim Kardashian has been drawing attention for her portrayal of a lawyer in ‘All’s Fair’, but unfortunately for her, the success of her onscreen character has not been matched in her real life.In an Instagram video posted on Sunday, the Kardashian announced that she had not passed her Bar exam…We’re not that used to people posting their failures on social media, and whilst that may be refreshing, is it advisable?Ian Robertson is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Trinity College & Author of ‘How Confidence Works’. He joins guest host Fionnuala Jones to discuss.