Moncrieff

This Saturday will see the annual World Porridge Making Championships take place in Scotland.Mayo’s Rebecca Holohan will be representing Ireland, and she joins Seán to discuss!

‘Change is possible’ - that’s the message of Doctor and Neuroscientist Brian Pennie, who is about to deliver his first talk at Maynooth University since his studies there.The university is celebrating 25 years of its Psychology Department, and is hosting a number of free events to mark the occasion, which are open to the public.The event is taking place on October 8th, and coincides with the day Dr. Brian Pennie recovered from his heroin addiction.12 years on, he has obtained a PhD and uses his platform to help people who are looking to turn their life around…He also hosts the ‘Change is Possible’ podcast, which encourages everyone to pursue the very best version of themselves.Dr. Brian Pennie joins Seán to discuss.Image: @mu_psychology_ on Instagram

Are we ruder in traffic than before? Have we lost our manners? Have we lost all courtesy and decency, and have we stopped saying thank you to the bus driver?Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been investigating, and joins Seán to discuss.

We saw overnight the detention, by Israeli forces, of activists on the Sumud Flotilla headed for Gaza, including a number of Irish citizens...It comes as we await further news of any type of progress following a proposed peace deal proposed by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu.All the while the people of Gaza remain under constant bombardment having been displaced from the place they call home…One of those is Reham Mahdi Al Jarrah, who works for Christian Aid Ireland’s local partner in Gaza, the Women’s Affairs Centre…He joins Seán to discuss.To donate to Christian Aid’s appeal as they support local partners in Gaza, visit: caid.ie/famine-gazaImage: Reuters

The Simpsons is the longest-running sitcom in US history, but is the world’s favourite yellow family still relevant?US-based Journalist and Simpsons enthusiast, Alan Siegel, says the show didn’t just reflect America, it reshaped it forever.With the 37th season out this week and a new movie in the works, he says the Simpsons are still going strong.He joins Seán to discuss his new book ‘Stupid TV, Be More Funny’, and the legacy of the famous family from Springfield…Image: Disney

As the cold evenings close in, now is the ideal time to set up a bird table in the garden, or even attached to a window if you live in an apartment. But, how do you do it, and are there certain foods that will attract specific species?Joining Seán to discuss is Niall Hatch, Head of Birdwatch Ireland…

Are we obsessed with drinking water?Hydration has been at the centre of social media trends and even has its own hashtag on TikTok: #WaterTok.Buzzy new viral products like gigantic 5L bottles or the Stanley Cup have fuelled this ‘water mania’ – but is there such a thing as drinking too much water?Joining Seán to discuss is Dietitian Aoife Quinn…

Imagine uprooting your life, spending thousands of euros, jumping through every hoop - only to land in a country with no job waiting for you. That’s the nightmare facing migrant nurses arriving in Ireland, scammed by recruitment agencies promising work that simply doesn’t exist.Seán is joined by Varghese Joy from Migrant Nurses Ireland, who wants to expose how suspected visa fraud is leaving skilled nurses stranded, out of pocket, and out of work.

There’s one thing that unites Irish people everywhere: we love to give out about the state of the place… but, heaven help anyone else who dares do the same.Today, we’re exploring the tug-of-war that happens among emigrants: those who left Ireland with a dream in their suitcase, and came back with stories and maybe just a bit of snobbery.Irish Times contributor Céire Sadlier has written about just that, and says she gets defensive when people call Ireland a ‘kip.’ She joins Seán to discuss.

The U.S. Federal Government has ground to a halt in what’s known as a ‘shutdown’. But, what exactly does that mean, and why does it keep happening?To help make sense of it all, Seán is joined by Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute in UCD.