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Newstalk
Andrea Gilligan invites callers to have their say on the topics of the day - get in touch by emailing lunchtimelive@newstalk.com Listen and subscribe to Lunchtime Live on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App.CONVERSATION THAT COUNTS | Ireland’s national independent talk station for news, sport, analysis and entertainmentListen to Newstalk at http://newstalk.com/listenlive | Download the GoLoud app now, the new home for Newstalk
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 31, 2025 • 9min
Are the vape price hikes too much?
By this time tomorrow, a €5 bottle of e-liquid will cost over €10 thanks to a tax that was introduced as part of last year's budget…A flat rate of 50c per millilitre of e-liquid will be applied, so for some, their vape fix will more than double. We’re told this is causing a rush to vape shops today so people can get in ahead of the increase.Do you have any sympathy, and is the price hike too much?Andrea is joined by listeners to discuss.

Oct 31, 2025 • 15min
Are women treated worse than men in the GAA?
You may have been listening to our piece about the Kildare Ladies Camogie and Football Finals on Wednesday.It got such a huge response, that we decided to come back to it today…Joining Andrea to discuss is Pat Mc Dowell, Manager and Chairman of Muckalee Ladies Gaelic Football Club in Kilkenny and Rachel Sheehan from Off The Ball.

Oct 31, 2025 • 11min
How successful has Halloween been for Irish business?
Tourism Ireland has been marketing Ireland around the world as the ‘Home of Halloween’, and it seems like it’s been a pretty big success: it's generated €50 million!So, was it the right move?Joining Andrea to discuss is Tom Lawlor, Co-Director of Dublin City Council’s Bram Stoker Festival, Head of Culture for Derry City and Strabane District Council, Aeidin McCarter and Historian and Journalist Rob Buachanan.

Oct 31, 2025 • 13min
Regional Roundup with Shane Beatty
Breakfast Briefing Presenter Shane Beatty joins Andrea Gilligan with plenty of stories from around the country this week!

Oct 31, 2025 • 14min
Why do car insurance prices keep rising?
New figures from The Central Bank of Ireland have shown that motor insurance premiums rose by an average of 9% to €623 last year.Despite a drop-off of 1,000 in the number of private motor claims last year, the total cost of settlements rose by €42 million to a record €896 million, up 38% on the pre-Covid average…If there are less claims, why is car insurance on the rise and how can we tackle these rising costs?Joining Andrea to discuss is Brian Hanley, Director of the Alliance for Insurance Reform, Editor with Completecar.ie, Shane O’Donoghue, Moyagh Murdoch, CEO of Insurance Ireland, as well as listeners.

Oct 30, 2025 • 10min
The Home Squad: Common Interior Mistakes
When you make changes to your home’s interior, there are some mistakes you can make that even a professional can fall into.This week, the Home Squad are here to discuss those mistakes, and how you can avoid them!Joining Andrea to discuss is Jenny Sheehan, Irish Examiner Columnist and former winner of ‘Home of the Year’ (@workerscottage on Instagram) and Tanya Neufeld Flanagan, Interior Designer and podcast host.

Oct 30, 2025 • 18min
Should more support be given to parents with children in hospitals?
Parents who have children in hospital have enough worries to deal with than to think of what they should have for lunch. With catering in hospitals, staff would have no problem but to help ease the burden by providing something as simple as tea and toast to parents. However, if you are not breastfeeding your child, you must fend for yourselves.Joining Andrea to discuss is Consultant in Pediatric Intensive Care at Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Suzanne Crowe, Certified lactation consultant and member of Association for Improvements in Maternity Services in Ireland, Maria O’Sullivan and Irish Times Journalist and host of the Conversations with Parents Podcast, Jen Hogan and more.

Oct 30, 2025 • 13min
Irish family in Jamaica on Hurricane Melissa destruction
Hurricane Melissa has been called the “storm of the century”.It’s one of the most powerful in Atlantic history, and has left a path of destruction in the Caribbean, hitting the Bahamas, Cuba and Jamaica.So far, dozens of people have been confirmed dead.In Jamaica, it's estimated up to 90% of homes in the devastated town of Black River have been stripped of their roofs.Orlagh Kilbride lives in Kingston, the island’s capital, with her family, and joins Andrea to discuss.Image: AP

Oct 30, 2025 • 10min
Would you give up your seat to someone on public transport?
Would you give your seat to the disabled or elderly on public transport? Newstalk Reporter Kyle Butler noticed some worrying behaviour after he moved to Dublin, and joins Andrea, as well as Mark Fennel, Author & Life Coach, to discuss.

Oct 30, 2025 • 15min
The Making of Westlife!
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 some of Westlife’s greatest hits as the band celebrates their 25th anniversary!


