Lunchtime Live

Castletown House, the large public land around Celbridge and Leixlip, is still caught in a battle between the locals and the OPW.There has been a long running stand-off at the heritage site in Co Kildare.Locals have maintained a presence at the entrance to Castletown House since September 2023, which had resulted in the majority of OPW staff not accessing the site.The protests began after an entrance and car park near the M4 was closed to the public and to OPW staff by the private owner of the land.So, will a resolution be reached?Andrea is joined by local Soc Dems Councillor Claire O’Rourke, as well as local listeners, to discuss.

Have you ever heard of financial dysmorphia?A lot of us wish we were better with our finances then we are, but could you be living with this without realising?Joining Andrea to discuss this is Financial Expert, Eoin McGee.

Stepmothers are portrayed negatively in more than two-thirds of films, a study has found. Does this affect dating? Are women avoiding single fathers as potential partners?And what preparations should a family and a new partner make?Joining Andrea to discuss is Mairead Loughman, Matchmaker in Love HQ Mullingar, Katriona O’Sullivan, Psychologist & author, Jim McKee, artist & single parent and Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family.

A tax on hotel guests is planned by four Dublin councils...Dublin City Council, Fingal and South Dublin county councils have all signed up to the proposed working group, while Dún Laoghaire Rathdown is close to doing so. Will this be off-putting to visitors and bad news for tourism?Joining Andrea to discuss is Paul Gallagher, CEO of Irish Hotels Federation. Michael Lennon, Director of Skylon Hotel in Dublin, Eugene Garrihy from Dublin Bay Cruises, Seamus McGrattan, Sinn Féin Dublin City Councillor as well as listeners.

Aldi is starting to sell wine in aluminum bottles; would you drink it?It has a smaller carbon footprint than glass and could get cold a lot quicker too.Joining Andrea to discuss is owner of the Nude Wine Company, Michelle Lawlor, Director of SIP wine cans Phil Ellison and Tara O'Connor from The Designed Table.

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: Warner Bros

Today, we're talking about something many people experience, but rarely discuss: the guilt that comes with moving away from home. Whether it’s for college, work, or a fresh start, leaving family behind can bring a mix of freedom and emotional weight.Joining Andrea to discuss is Manon Gilbart, Journalist with the Irish Examiner and listeners who have left the country.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we’ll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Professor Shane Higgins, Master of the National Maternity Hospital to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Shane joins Andrea to discuss what the steps are if you are having difficulty conceiving.

Do we shower enough? One Spanish TikToker who spent time living in Ireland was astonished at how little we bathe our children and ourselves!Nacho Barrueco told his followers he had noticed that Irish people seemed to bathe less in comparison to those in Spain...“The kids came to class dirty, with the paint from the day before, with two band-aids on their heads… and I thought, damn, it seems they don't bathe!’’So, is he right?To discuss, Andrea is joined by Jen Hogan, Journalist with the Irish Times and Aesthetician Eavanna Breen.

From next year, a new EU directive on pay transparency is set to come into force in June, where employers will no longer be able to ask job candidates about their current salary.And, when advertising job vacancies, employers will have to give a range.Is this a step in the right direction?Do we need greater pay transparency?Joining Andrea to discuss is Columnist with the Irish independent Mary McCarthy, Louisa Meehan from Woodview HRM, Professor of Sociology, Trinity College Dublin Richard Layte and listeners.