

Moncrieff
Newstalk
The daily dose of madness and intrigue from Sean Moncrieff and his rebel radio crew.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

Dec 11, 2025 • 5min
The history of Christmas shop windows
Christmas time wouldn’t be complete without the festive shop window displays. Seán’s guest’s grandfather led the design and construction of Gimbel’s Christmas window displays in the 1940s. The department store has become a hallmark of the holiday season, featured in classics like ‘Elf’, and ‘Miracle on 34th Street'.Emer Roche joins to discuss!

Dec 11, 2025 • 6min
Do we eat too fast?
According to a piece in the Huffington Post, American tourists can be spotted abroad because they are the ones scoffing at their food and not sitting down to relax while enjoying a meal in a restaurant...But, are we as bad here, are we all wolfing down our food way too fast?Registered Dietician Aoife Quinn joins Seán to discuss.

Dec 11, 2025 • 19min
The politics of gift giving - Henry McKean Asks
Is it better to get no present than to get a bad one? What's the drama behind Kris Kindle?Henry McKean has been asking the public about the politics of gift giving, and joins Seán to discuss.

Dec 11, 2025 • 16min
Is nuclear power the way to go?
As energy prices continue to rise and questions are raised over energy supply, it’s being wondered if Ireland should explore nuclear power. To discuss this, Seán is joined by Co-Founder of 18 for 0, Denis Duff, and Barrister and Environmental Campaigner, Neil McCann.

Dec 10, 2025 • 9min
The story behind the construction of the Empire State Building
Author Glenn Kurtz is out with a brand-new book chronicling the lives of the men who built the Empire State Building: ‘Men at Work: The Empire State Building and the Untold Story of the Craftsmen who Built It’.He joins Seán to discuss!

Dec 10, 2025 • 10min
Government considering spiked drink testing protocols in hospitals
With drink-spiking incidents expected to rise over the Christmas party season, the Government is considering new hospital testing protocols. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan says talks with the Health Minister will focus on ensuring suspected cases are quickly identified, tested, and properly investigated.Joining Seán to discuss this is Dola Twomey of Safe Gigs Ireland.

Dec 10, 2025 • 9min
Why many small businesses are vulnerable to cyberattacks
When was the last time you backed up your data?New research shows that the majority of small businesses in Ireland don’t have any plan in place to avoid or deal with a cyberhack, and with all of us booking GP and hair appointments online, should we be worried? Dr Hazel Murray, Chair of Cybersecurity at Munster Technical University, joins Seán to discuss.

Dec 10, 2025 • 7min
TD proposes ‘culture cards’ for 18-year-olds
Fianna Fáil TD, Peter ‘Chap’ Cleere, joins Seán to discuss his new proposal to give 18-year-olds access to a ‘culture card’, allowing them to spend €100 on cultural and sporting events.

Dec 10, 2025 • 10min
Eileen Harkin on fostering 27 children
Eileen Harkin has fostered 27 children so far. This remarkable woman became involved in foster care as a child, when her own mother began taking in children. Eileen joins Seán to tell more about her experience.

Dec 10, 2025 • 12min
Fighting on the Cambodian-Thai border displaces thousands
Renewed fighting on the Cambodian-Thai border has displaced thousands and shut down schools in some of Cambodia’s poorest provinces. Irish development workers warn that the unrest threatens decades of progress, and the education of the country’s most vulnerable children…Colm Byrne, CEO of Irish-Cambodian education development NGO, SeeBeyondBorders Ireland and former teacher from Portmarnock joins Seán to discuss.Image: Reuters


