Highlights From Lunchtime Live

It’s a moment we’ll be ‘parroting’ about for many years to come – Ireland’s World Cup dream kept alive, with Troy Parrot sealing victory in the sixth-minute of injury-time, scoring a hat-trick and securing the comeback win against Hungary, 3-2 the final score.Where were you when the goal was scored, and is this up there with Ireland’s greatest ever sporting moments?Joining Lunchtime Live were Irish football fans on where they were when that last-minute goal went in.

 On Friday, families across Ireland received school place offers.  In many areas in the country where acute population growth has been recorded, many families struggle to secure school places for their children. Despite a pilot scheme being rolled out to remove the need to apply for schools individually in towns facing shortages. Louise in Greystones joined Lunchtime live to discuss her challenges in securing a place for her child.  Louise was also joined by other listeners with similar stories and Aontú Education Spokesperson and Assistant Principal in a Secondary School in Limerick.

It’s time for the Pod Squad.Today Anna Daly in for Andrea was joined by Host of the ‘For Techs Sake’ podcast Elaine Burke and Newstalk’s Neil Kavanagh… To review the  ‘What Went Wrong’. A podcast that explores the Troubled production histories of both good and bad films.

For this week’s Ask Me Anything, David Tighe, CEO of CRITICAL Emergency Medical Response joins guest host Anna Daly to answer any of your emergency response questions.

Last night, the Christmas lights on Grafton Street flickered to life, officially ushering in the festive season. And with so many of us already getting into the Christmas spirit, it’s the perfect time to talk about one of the highlights of this time of year: the magical Christmas markets across Europe!From historic town squares to sparkling winter wonderlands, we’re taking a look at some of the very best destinations for a festive getaway.Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Joan Scales, Travel Writer and Broadcaster.

Social media has played a huge part in putting Irish food and restaurants on the map, thanks to Instagrammable dishes, viral TikToks, and positive word of mouth.Many Irish restaurants depend on this free publicity to reach new diners, but growing numbers now report influencer behaviour that can disrupt service or other guests.As Irish restaurants, cafés, and markets ride the social media wave for publicity, some worry about disruption, loss of control, and whether it’s time for new rules on filming and sharing food experiences…In the age of everyone being a ‘reviewer’ - should anyone be able to record and post their experience or do venues need more control? And what is the fallout from a negative review shared online?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Eadaoin Fitzmaurice, Food Content Creator, Ciaran Kavanagh, Head Chef at Gravediggers Pub, Keelan Higgs, owner & Chef at Variety Jones and JP McMahon, Chef, Restaurateur and author.

In a spectacular show last night, the Republic of Ireland faced Portugal at Lansdowne Road. We needed to win to stay in the mix for a play-off spot for the World Cup…And win we did! It was a game full of drama, ending with 2 nil to Ireland, both goals scored by Troy Parrott, and of course, Ronaldo getting the red card.Guest host Anna Daly is joined by listeners to get their reactions to the match.

Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins guest host Anna Daly with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

For expectant parents, there’s already so much to think about without adding parking to the list. Unfortunately, for many families, hospital parking becomes an unexpected source of stress that they’re forced to factor into their birthing plans.Across the country, many maternity hospitals either offer limited parking, or none at all, and even when parking is available, finding a space can take far longer than it should, especially in urgent situations...Have you had a difficult experience with hospital parking when having a baby?Joining guest host Anna Daly to discuss is Journalist and mum, Aideen Finnegan, Dr Krysia Lynch, Chairperson for the Association for Improvements in Maternity Services in Ireland, Katie Makk from the ‘Opinions Matter’ podcast and Aidan Loughnane, Content Creator and Mental Health Advocate.

With the weather getting colder and colder, there are some things you might want to look out for when getting your home winter-ready.This week, the Home Squad are here to discuss prepping the house for winter!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Kate O’Driscoll, (@victorianrathmines on Instagram).

Listener Mary got in touch with the show about an issue she has with Bord Gáis. She joins Andrea to discuss more.

The Office of Public Works yesterday announced that ‘Christmas at the Castle’ will not be returning this year or next due to Government business, and the upcoming EU presidency.Does this leave a hole in your Christmas calendar, and should we have more of an offering in the city during the festive period? Are we as a capital city lagging behind our European neighbours and even other cities in the country?And, what are some of the experiences you are looking forward to in the lead up to Christmas?Andrea is joined by Lisa O’Sullivan Shaw (@modernirishmom on Instagram), Trevor Darmody, Director of Winterval Festival in Waterford and listeners to discuss.

All this week, Lunchtime Live has been focusing on the renting situation around Ireland.Today, we want to look at a slightly different angle: what is the current situation for landlords in this country?Andrea is joined by Maurice Deverell, Private landlord and Member of Irish Property Owners Association and listeners to hear their experiences.

We’ve decided to do a deep dive on some of our favourite albums to explore the stories behind them.What did the artists really think of each other? Where did the inspirations from the songs come from?Joining Andrea to discuss is Head Tour Guide at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience, Alan Buckley, who’s going to talk through Billy Joel’s album, ‘The Stranger’!

The Government has confirmed it will launch a statutory inquiry into the care of children with scoliosis and spina bifida at Children’s Health Ireland.The announcement follows months of emotional campaigning by parents, including the family of Harvey Sherratt, who tragically passed away in July.Families have long called for answers about the treatment, and today’s decision marks a significant step toward accountability.Andrea is joined by Advocate with Access for All Ireland, Bernard Mulvany, Core member of the Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Paediatric Advocacy Group, Orlaith Maher Lalor and listeners to discuss…

Lunchtime Live's Reasons to be Happy looks at some of the news stories that you might have missed that will leave you feeling more optimistic.98FM’s Cathal O’Sullivan joined Andrea in the studio to put a smile on your faces…Image: Disney

From today, Ryanair switches to 100% digital boarding passes.They claim paperless boarding will be “faster, smarter and greener", but will it be “seamless”?And, has flying just become too much hassle?Andrea is joined by Eoghan Corry, Travel Journalist and Writer, as well as listeners, to discuss.

Prince William has opened up about telling his children about his wife Kate’s diagnosis. Just how hard is it to tell your kids about a cancer diagnosis, and how should you go about it?Andrea is joined by Amy Nolan, Director of Clinical Affairs with the Irish Cancer Society, as well as listeners, to discuss.

Have you ever gone absolutely bananas when your team scores that last-minute winner against an old rival? Or slouched on the couch for hours after a devastating defeat? Well, it’s not just you being dramatic, your brain is actually getting rewired in real time!A new scientific study has revealed that when football fans watch their favourite team win or lose, it’s not just their hearts racing, their brains are lighting up in very specific ways. Using MRI scans, researchers found that fans’ emotions and self-control can be dramatically affected by the result, especially when playing a rival…Joining Andrea to discuss this is Off The Ball’s Kathleen McNamee, as well as listeners.

A recent rental report released by Daft.ie shows that there will continue to be a shortage in the supply of rental properties across the country. The report shows that there has been a 21% drop in homes available to rent across Ireland this year…The demand for accommodation is so high that people who are fortunate to find a place are living in subpar housing and paying way over budget.This is very much the case for students, but what are some of the experiences and stories of those young people trying to find accommodation?Andrea is joined by Ronan Lyons, Professor in Economics in Trinity College and author of the Daft report, Newstalk’s Meghan O’Halloran, VP for Wellbeing in DCU, Lauren Joyce and listeners.