Moncrieff

The woman who turned the Thomas the Tank Engine books into a global TV phenomenon has died. But, how did she pull it off?Joining Seán to discuss is a man who knew her well, Brannon Carty, lifelong fan of Thomas the Tank Engine and Producer of An Unlikely Fandom…

A newly declassified guide booklet for new spies reveals fascinating details on how the British trained their new espionage recruits in the middle part of the last century.Joining Seán to discuss is Professor Anthony Glees, Intelligence and Security Expert at the University of Buckingham…

Reports suggest today that Hamas has accepted the Gaza peace deal with Israel, some sources claim it could be finalised by the end of this week.But, what is entailed in brokering such a deal?Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern joins Seán to discuss.

There was a time when people spent their Friday and Saturday nights on the dance floor…Nowadays, there are just over 80 nightclubs open nationwide, a stark difference since the turn of the century.So, is the nightclub dead? Robbie Fox, owner of Renards Nightclub, joins Seán to discuss.

Yesterday, the Spanish Prime Minister unveiled a series of measures to attempt to alleviate the housing problem facing the country.Perhaps the most remarkable of these measures was a 100% tax on real estate bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU.So, is this something that we should be looking at here in Ireland?Rory Hearne, Social Democrat TD Dublin North West and author of ‘Gaffs: Why no one can get a house and what we can do about it’, joins Seán to discuss.

There are currently 65 people whose remains are lying in unmarked shallow graves around the country, since the War of Independence. A new campaign is calling for the government to locate and bury, in a respectful manner, these remains.Joining Seán to discuss is John Mooney, Crime and Security Correspondent for the Sunday Times…

Despite the many predictions of doom in the music industry, the UK trade body for music retailers has just reported a “20 year high for recorded music revenues”, which apparently exceeds the pinnacle of the CD era…So, is it boom time for musicians? Or is the picture a little more complicated?Eamon Forde is a Freelance Music Business and Technology Journalist, and joins Seán to discuss.

We can all see that there are pros and cons to the digital age.Where at one point we may gain a convenience, we might also lose a skill.But, has our reliance on technology fundamentally changed us as human beings? And are we losing touch with fundamental aspects of the human experience?Christine Rosen is the author of ‘The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World’ and joins Seán to discuss…

You might hear anecdotally that border collies are the smartest dogs, and in Britain at least, this appears to be the case.A 6-year-old Border Collie named Harvey has been named one of the world’s brightest dogs by Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest.Irene Hewlett is the owner of Harvey, and joins Seán to discuss.

While calls have been made for a statue to be erected to Sinead O’Connor in Dublin, current rules don’t allow a figure to be commemorated until 20 years after their death. But, should the regulations be changed?Joining Seán to discuss is Cllr Donna Cooney, Chairperson of the Naming and Commemorations Committee of Dublin City Council and Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin…