Moncrieff

An underground metro service, a city centre lido - many impressive proposals have been suggested to transform life in the capital.But while we wait for the finances, resourcing and energy to make such major projects happen, what smaller developments would make a big difference to Dublin city?Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

While a garden pond might be something nice to look at, they are also a bountiful source for biodiversity. But, how do you build one, and what assistance is available from local authorities?Joining Seán to discuss is Alan O’Reilly from Carlow Weather, who is this week marking the one year anniversary of his pond project…Image: @CarlowWeather on Twitter

"Behind every great man is a great woman" - or so goes the old cliché. Historically, the wives behind great men in history end up proving themselves to be even greater, but, because they were women, they didn't get that recognition.Nicola Pierce, author of 'Great Irish Wives: Remarkable Lives from History' has been digging into the history of some of these women, and joins Seán to discuss.

A scheme which offers free party kits for children's birthdays has been rolled out across the country. But, how does it work?Joining Seán to discuss is Sharon Kielthy, Founder of Jiminy Eco Toys, who kickstarted the Party Kit Network in Ireland…Image: Party Kit Network

You might have noticed that most new apartment blocks around the country are covered in balconies. But, are these mandated by councils, and at what cost? Do we really need them in a country where it rains so much?Joining Seán to discuss is Seán O’Neill McPartlin, Director of Housing Policy at Progress Ireland…

Following last night’s shooting down of Russian drones in Polish Airspace, Poland has asked NATO to open consultations under Article 4 of its treaty, which states that members of the Western military alliance will consult together whenever any of them is threatened.The incident is being seen as one of major concerns for ‘The West’.But what is ‘The West’? Why are Poland in it? Are New Zealand and Australia, countries on the extreme east of the map, as we understand it, also part of “The West”?Georgios Varouxakis is Professor in History of Political Thought at Queen Mary University of London and author of ‘The West: The History of an Idea’. He joins Seán to discuss.

As President Michael D Higgins prepares to leave the Áras later this year, he might be considering his next career move.One possible option might be to return to being a touring poet.Indeed, perhaps the first step in this career change happened at the weekend, when the President released a new poetry album with a live show in the National Concert Hall.‘Against All Certainty’ is his debut collection of 10 spoken poems with music by Myles O’Reilly.So what’s it like to jam with the President? Myles O’Reilly joins Seán to discuss.

Technically speaking, anything that is in the past can be categorized as history.But, more often than not, historians deal with events that they exist at a great remove from.That is not the case for Diarmaid Ferriter’s latest book ‘The Revelation of Ireland: 1995-2020’.So, does chronicling recent events present a challenge for historians, and what can we say definitively about Ireland in the last 30 years?Diarmaid Ferriter joins Seán to discuss.

As a Senior Lecturer in clean energy at UCC, Dr Paul Deane knows a thing or two about energy efficiency...But in reality, when you go from transforming a vacant home from a G BER rating to an A grade energy efficient house, you realise that the practical learnings are pretty major...Dr Paul Deane joins Seán to discuss.

Last month, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan announced plans to introduce a bill that would attempt to tackle child sexual abuse and the proliferation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online.The fact that the Government is committed to tackling this issue is also reflected in its support of the EU’s Chat Control Regulations.But, do these steps compromise fundamental values and rights that the EU has committed to upholding?Brian Honan, Chief Executive of BH Consulting, an independent advisory firm on cybersecurity and privacy based in Dublin, joins Seán to discuss.