Highlights From Lunchtime Live

Our summer memories series returns where we chat with some well-known faces and reminisce over those long summer days!  Actress Mary McEvoy joined Andrea to discuss...

Yesterday on Lunchtime Live, we heard from a few of our callers about their experience of miscarriage and coping with life after it. There were also calls for paid leave for early miscarriage. As a result, many other listeners got in touch with their experiences and Andrea was joined by some of those on the show today...

Jamil Ghafoor, a Dublin taxi driver was assaulted while walking on O’Connell Street back in May. The attack has left him bedridden for months and unable to work. Jamil joined Andrea to discuss...

The Director General of RTE Kevin Backhurst announced last night that negotiations for Ryan Tubridy’s return to his Radio One show had ended as 'trust between the parties has broken down'. He insists that the presenter is not being scapegoated for the payments scandal at the broadcaster. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Are we any closer to getting paid miscarriage leave in the workplace? Women who have suffered a miscarriage are still only entitled to sick leave, however it is hopefully going to change soon as  The Reproductive Health Bill is currently pending before the Seanad. Do work places do enough for women going through miscarriage? Andrea was joined by Sinead, Siobhan, Linda and Emma Walker is from the Miscarriage Association of Ireland and more to discuss...

Levi Amarillo, a Brazilian student was conned out of €6000 by someone renting out a property in Dublin. Levi and his partner woke one night to find a dozen people had moved in to their apartment. Levi joined Andrea on Lunchtime Live to discuss...

A Young Fine Gael justice document is calling on Government to introduce tougher sentencing for criminal offenders. The document titled ‘Building a Just Republic’ is calling for life sentences to mean life in prison. Andrea was joined by Eli Byrne, member of Young Fine Gael, John Lonergan, former Govenor of Mountjoy Prison, victim's advocate Ruth Maxwell and other listener to discuss...

More than 180 creches have closed in the last two years. The rate at which providers are shutting down has apparently slowed dramatically since the launch of the €287m “core funding scheme”. Core funding is a Government payment to providers to make it cheaper for parents. But with this many closing, it must still be having a massive impact on parents. Andrea was joined by childcare providers and parents to discuss...

There are very few of us in this country who haven’t been touched by cancer. Westlife’s Shane Filan sadly lost both his parents within 10 months of each other to the disease. He is now getting involved with the Irish Cancer Society ‘Celebrate & Remember’ event in the Aviva Stadium on September 29th. Shane and Gillian Filan joined Andrea in studio to discuss…

There were long queues at various ATMs last night as a technical glitch allowed customers to withdraw more money than they had available in their Bank Of Ireland accounts. A number of people were alarmed to see Gardai, in some areas, actually blocking access to a number of ATMs. Andrea was joined by Charlie Weston, Irish Independent personal finance editor, People Before Profit TD, Paul Murphy and other listeners to discuss…

What are some imaginative ways to reimagine our cities and towns in order to make them more attractive to tourists and also keep our young people from emigrating? Is Ireland no place for young people anymore? Andrea was joined by Rachel O'Neill, Newstalk's own Cathal O'Sullivan and Kevin from GAA-Works.ie to discuss...

Today Ireland remembers one of the biggests atrocities the country saw, the 25th anniversary of the Omagh bombing. 29 people were killed and the attack in 1998 devastated the town. Hundreds more were injured. It came just months after the Good Friday Agreement and was the greatest loss of life in a single incident in the North’s past. Andrea was joined by Kevin Skelton on Lunchtime Live to discuss losing his wife in the terrible tragedy 25 years ago. Listeners Liz and Bernie also told Andrea about their memories of this dark day in Omagh...

Derry girls creator Lisa McGee has expressed her frustration at her identity being dismissed as “not properly Irish” because she hails from Northern Ireland and not the Republic. Writer & commentator Emma de Souza, who also hails from Co Derry, shared her own experience of not being considered Irish while speeaking with Newstalk earlier today. Andrea was joined by listeners to discuss...

Anyone who buys clothes in normal chain shops will have experienced the madness that is the varying clothes sizes between different shops. You could be medium in one, and a large in another. Influencer Molly Mae Hague posted a picture of herself in size 14 Zara jeans recently on social media. It annoyed quite a lot of people that she’d ever be wearing size 14, because even after recently having a baby, she’s very small. Do clothes sizes vary from shop to shop on the high street and also versus online orders? Andrea was joined by Stylist Laura Mullet, Irish Independent Columnist Tanya Sweeney and listeners to discuss...

Restaurants in St Tropez in France have been criticized for keeping lists of people who don’t leave decent tips, and refusing to let them book a table again. Is this fair? Do you tip when you’re out? Or has the tipping culture gone too far? Andrea was joined on Lunchtime Live by listeners to discuss...

Dog behaviourist Suzi Walsh and Vet Tim Kirby joined Adrian Kennedy on Lunchtime Live to discuss helping your pets grieve when they lose a friend...

How much have you paid for a pint recently? Diageo will increase the price of its stout and beer products by 4 cent from today – just six months after a 12 cent hike in February. Publicans say that this could be the ‘tipping point’ for the industry. Adrian Kennedy was joined by publicans and listeners to discuss...

Three Gardai trainees have been sent home from Templemore – until they get their tattoos removed. It’s understood the tattoos were mostly on lower arms of the trainee gardai, and would have been visible to members of the public if the officers were wearing short-sleeve uniform shirts. The recruits were told they could return to the force’s training college once they had the tattoos removed. Is it the right decision on the part of Gardai bosses or is the Gardai dress code too restrictive in this day and age? Adrian Kennedy was joined by listeners to discuss...

Our summer memories series returns where we chat with some well-known faces and reminisce over those long summer days!  Author and Crime Journalist, Nicola Tallant joined Andrea to discuss...

On July 1st 1990 thousands lined the streets to celebrate the Irish football team who were greeted as champions despite bowing out in the quarter finals. An article today by Johnny Watterson in the Irish Times examines our unique obsession with homecomings, often for teams that haven’t actually won. Do we celebrate mediocracy in Ireland? Andrea was joined by Eoghan Corry and other listeners to discuss...