Moncrieff

Do you have what it takes to be cool, and can you fake it until you make it?Writing in the Guardian, Journalist Elle Hunt gave it a shot, and joins Seán to discuss.

An Irish Neuroscientist has been speaking out about the link between loneliness and dementia.In Ireland, CSO figures show that in 2024, 5.6% of 16-24 year olds said they felt lonely “most or all of the time”.This is approximately 80% higher than those aged over 65…Dr. Sabina Brennan is a Psychologist, Neuroscientist and host of the Super Brain podcast, as well as author of ‘Still Me’.She joins Seán to talk about why loneliness carries profound implications for brain health, and even heightens the risk of dementia…

Steven Moore, a familiar name and face for many of antique lovers, has released a book entitled ‘The Stuff of History’, a curated compendium of curious objects and forgotten people.Steven joins Seán to discuss!

Ide O’Carroll is a Social Researcher, author, and former teacher who undertook a 30-year project for her latest book.In this unique book, we hear from Irish women who stayed living on the island, who did not emigrate, describe their lives and perspectives on a dramatically changed social context from the 1990s to 2023.‘Thirty Years of Change Through Women’s Eyes’ releases officially tomorrow, and Ide joins Seán to discuss.

What makes a word a ‘taboo’, and what power do these words hold?Research conducted by experts across 17 countries and in 13 different languages aimed to explore just that.The study found there is an intrinsic link between a country’s culture and its swear words, and that the type of taboo words reported can be indicators to the social hierarchies present in that country.Simone Sulpizio, Psychology Professor at the University of Milano-Bicocca and lead author of the study joins Seán to discuss.

Fossil remains of Ireland’s only known dinosaurs will go on public display for the first time ever.The exhibition will take place at UCC’s Glucksman Gallery next month and will feature over 250 real fossils and over five tonnes of material.The exhibition will merge science with art and creativity to bring Ireland’s dinosaur age to life.To discuss more, Seán is joined by Professor of Palaeontology at University College Cork, Maria McNamara.Image: UCC

Do you have skills that you think would help a charity organisation?Or have you always thought about volunteering but never got around to it?In this country, there is much fascination in terms of boards and what it takes to be appointed to one, but actually there is a whole voluntary sector relying on people to come forward with their time and expertise...Eva Gurn is the Chief Executive Officer at Boardmatch Ireland, and joins Seán to discuss.

Ireland is facing a geopolitical choice that is pulling us in two different directions.We are not just witnessing a drift in the Transatlantic Alliance, but its collapse. This poses acute dangers for Ireland.Ben Tonra is Full Professor of International Relations at the UCD School of Politics and International Relations. He joins Seán to discuss exactly what this means, and where we go from here.

The shortlist for this year’s Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards has been announced. But, what is it about these photographs that captures people’s imagination and actually helps conservation efforts?Joining Seán to discuss is Paul Joynson Hicks, Founder of the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards…Image: Nikon Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

Nearly every day, you see headlines of rising property prices and the lack of supply of homes for people to buy and live in, but at the same time, in the last twelve months there have now been more first-time buyers granted mortgages than since the height of the Celtic Tiger in 2007.So, what is the reality for people looking to buy for the first time, and is it really as hard as everyone says it is?Sean Corbett from Sys Mortgages deals with this day in and day out, and joins Seán to discuss.