

Moncrieff
Newstalk
The daily dose of madness and intrigue from Sean Moncrieff and his rebel radio crew. Listen and subscribe to Moncrieff on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App. You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'
Episodes
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Sep 3, 2025 • 6min
Do we engage in ‘performative prosperity’?
Seán’s guest has just put in a beautiful shiny new kitchen in her house, but it has got her questioning the role of ‘performative prosperity’ in modern Ireland. Are we hanging our identities on superficial things too much?Joining Seán to discuss is Orla McAndrew, a zero waste wedding and event caterer based in Cork…

Sep 3, 2025 • 8min
Should we all send messages in bottles?
The speed at which we can communicate in the modern world has many benefits for us all. It keeps us in touch with friends and family abroad, and allows us to access information from all around the world in an instant.But, it can be a little overwhelming. Journalist Niamh O’Reilly decided to try to reach out in a different way at the start of this year: a message in a bottle. And now, she’s had a response.She joins Seán to discuss.

Sep 3, 2025 • 10min
How do you have fun at work?
While most people are unlikely to associate their job with being fun, is there an argument to be made for approaching work in this way?Joining Seán from New York to discuss is Bree Groff, author of ‘Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously)’...

Sep 3, 2025 • 9min
Why is Germany pivoting to becoming a military superpower?
The 2022 invasion of Ukraine pivoted Germany’s once discrete war machine to a star-studded spectacle.With the glamour of an ‘upmarket car showroom’, a new shell factory (which will produce 350,000 shells annually) was launched using dry ice and a laser show.Is this odd display of German militarism part of the zeitgeist?Derek Scally, Berlin Correspondent for the Irish Times, joins Seán to discuss.

Sep 3, 2025 • 15min
What it’s like to raise trans children
Karen Sugrue is the Co-Chair of Mammies for Trans Rights, and she joins Seán to talk about the struggles and fear she has been facing, as she notices a shift in attitudes about her children…

Sep 2, 2025 • 9min
How do you win the World Toe Wrestling Championships?
Seán’s guest is fresh from his recent victory at the World Toe Wrestling Championships in Derbyshire, but how do you win this esteemed competition?Ben “Toe Tal Destruction” Woodroffe joins to discuss!

Sep 2, 2025 • 13min
What was the Nagrev poisoning crisis?
In late December 1929 four Hungarian women went on trial for murdering their husbands.This was a huge scandal in and of itself, but it turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg of what came to be known as the ‘Nagyrev poisoning crisis’.Hope Reese is the author of ‘The Women Are Not Fine’, and joins Seán to discuss.

Sep 2, 2025 • 7min
What are ‘portable’ coffee machines?
With the cost of barista-made coffee rising considerably over the past year or so, more and more people appear to be turning to portable coffee machines. But, what are they and how do they work?Joining Seán to discuss this is Ciara O'Brien, Tech Correspondent for the Irish Times…

Sep 2, 2025 • 7min
Should we cycle more for our mental health?
According to UNICEF, Irish teens are number one in academic performance, beating all other nations in the rich world. However, we rank only 24th in adolescent mental well-being…In terms of both mental and physical health, we are far outpaced in both mental and physical health by the Dutch, the people who cycle incessantly.So, should we take a leaf out of their book and hop on our bikes more often?Aibhlín O’Leary, Head of Advocacy for UNICEF Ireland, joins Seán to discuss.

Sep 2, 2025 • 9min
Did the Liverpool boycott of The Sun change voting attitudes?
When the newspaper The Sun covered the Hillsborough Disaster, a tragic crush at a football match where 97 lost their lives, they wrongly blamed Liverpool supporters, and the city boycotted them. That boycott still exists today, but has it affected voting intentions and attitudes in the city?Joining Seán to discuss is PhD Researcher in Political Science at Trinity, Lucas Paulo da Silva.