Highlights From Lunchtime Live

Miriam, a listener, sent an email into Lunchtime Live about her time spent in an industrial school when she was younger.Miriam joined Andrea Gilligan on the show to discuss her experience...Image: Children's Homes

Nowadays the world is now more divided than ever. There are a myriad of political and social issues which seem to have split the population. Whether it is politics, international conflicts, gender identity issues, immigration, the list goes on and on. Is it possible to maintain friendships and relationship with someone who might have very different views than you? Could you be friends with someone who has different political or social views? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

A clean-up operation is under way in towns and villages in east Cork and west Waterford hit by flooding during Storm Babet The storm caused millions of euro worth of damage as parts of Ireland suffered its worst rainfall-related flooding in over a decade. Cork was worst-hit by the torrential downpours which dumped over a month's worth of rain in less than 24 hours.  Andrea was joined by locals to discuss how they have been affected...

CEO of Merchant’s Quay, Eddie Mullins has said Ireland Irelands middle class are sustaining Irelands drug trade.  He says there are people in politics, media and An Garda Síochána who are habitual drug users. Are drugs becoming an issue among all classes in Ireland? Eddie Mullins joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss.Andrea was also joined by other listeners to discuss...

Throughout the country during October, people will hear fireworks going off every evening – some even starting in the afternoon. Do they bother you? Has it made it scary to go out at night? Or is it scaring the animals in your house? Is it time for a crackdown on them? Adrian Kennedy was joined by Dublin City Councillor Mannix Flynn and other listeners to discuss...

Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy Ray told Newstalk Breakfast that students should be finishing school with a leaving cert and a driving license.Should driving lessons be carried out in schools? Adrian Kennedy was joined by listeners to discuss...

US President Joe Biden landed in Israel on a solidarity visit this morning. It comes after around 500 Palestinians were killed in a blast at a Gaza City hospital last night  Palestinian officials have blamed the strike on Israel who say that the blast was a result of a stray rocket from Hamas. How do we know who to believe?  What do you think of the West’s reaction to the conflict? How would you like to see Ireland act?  Adrian Kennedy was joined by listeners to discuss...

On the Graham Norton Show on BBC last week, a woman who used to live in Fermoy called it a ‘horrible town’.The comments made by the woman while in the famous red chair have caused outrage among locals.Andrea was joined by Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Frank O’Flynn, Kay Dawson, Fermoy Coucillor and other listeners to discuss...

A listener emailed Lunchtime Live as she was seeking some help and guidance around her struggle with alcohol.Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinty College Dublin and listeners Declan and Pat joined Andrea to discuss...

Halloween is right around the corner, and yet shops are stocked with Christmas decorations. Brown Thomas on Grafton Street has had it’s Christmas shop open since August.  Have we all gone Christmas mad? Is October too early to be getting ready for Christmas? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

President Michael D Higgins says Ursula von der Leyen is ‘not speaking for Ireland’ following comments she made on the Palestine / Israel conflict last Friday. He criticised the head of the European Commission for a failure to call for Israel's retaliation to conform with international law.Is President Higgins right to speak out on this? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Director and Writer Richard Curtis has promised never to make “fat” jokes in his work again. He’s famous for films like Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill and says he feels bad about lines in his films that are no longer funny. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite across the country, Newstalk is here to help with a new online series highlighting the best ways to save on your bills.Cut-the-Cost will offer tips and advice on how to save on everything from energy and the weekly shop to modern essentials like broadband and phone contracts.Aoife Kearns, from our news team has done the hard work and sourced the best deals for your groceries...

Halloween is right around the corner. If you have children in school you’ll probably be bombarded with costume parties. We want to talk about whether children’s costumes are another way for parents to get competitive?  Andrea was joined by parents to discuss...

Thousands of Polish nationals queued outside the Polish embassy in Dublin over the weekend to cast their votes in their country’s election. Would you like to see Irish citizens overseas be given the right to vote in our elections? Andrea Gilligan was joined by listeners to discuss...

‘Ask Me Anything’ is a new series every Friday on Lunchtime Live. Over the next number of weeks we will be chatting to people from different backgrounds, people who have weird or wonderful occupations or people who have had incredible experiences.  And, we want you to ask the questions. You can put whatever questions you like to our guest and we will put it to them.  Kicking off our series Former Prisoner Wayne Hart joined Andrea in studio.In his life Wayne has spent almost 17 years in prison. He has since turned his life around having left prison for the final time in 2005 and has helped young prisoners reform...

12 year old Sarah Griffin was put into an induced coma after being rushed to hospital with difficulty breathing from vaping. In support of Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke’s new vaping awareness campaign, Sarah’s mother Mary joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

On 12th January 2015, Anne Marie’s son Max was stillborn at almost 42 weeks. To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, Anne Marie joined Andrea to tell her story to increase awareness around baby loss. Andrea was also joined on Lunchtime Live by Kinga and Professor Keelin O'Donoghue is a consultant obstetrician at Cork University Maternity Hospital...

We are counting down to the Rugby World Cup Quarter Finals between Ireland and New Zealand tomorrow night at 8pm in Paris. This could be our moment to push beyond the quarter final stages for the first time ever. Has rugby overtaken football as the game that can lift a nation? Has this World Cup turned us into a rugby nation? Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Family farms are being put at risk by drugs debts racked up by young farmers.  An Irish Country Living investigation has found people in rural areas are buying cocaine on social media- leading to an increase in young farmers seeking help with their addiction. Drugs counsellors say it's those aged 18 to 30 who are most affected.  Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...