Moncrieff

Has cocaine become completely normalised?A new report published by the Department of Health has highlighted that cocaine users are now older and better educated than ever before. The typical cocaine user is changing as older people embrace the party drug.For more on this, Seán is joined by Professor Colin O'Gara, Addiction Psychiatrist and Head of Addiction Services at St. John of God Hospital…

Comedians Julie Jay and Colm O’Regan join Seán in Lighthouse Cinema to talk all things comedy, and the work-life balance that is needed in their careers.Julie Jay and Colm O’Regan will be performing at the Paddy Power Comedy Festival this weekend. For more information go to ppcomedyfestival.com.

Seán’s guest’s latest book, ‘Strange Sally Diamond’, went straight to number one in Ireland.Liz Nugent, one of Ireland’s foremost crime writers, joins live in Lighthouse Cinema to discuss!

A traditional Irish basket for collecting harvested onions had been lost to history, until Seán’s guest managed to recreate one so accurately that it is now being celebrated by those in Kerry who remember the original.Joining to discuss is Diane Southey from Saille Baskets in Kerry...

Do you make the effort when you are abroad to speak the language?Even just a ‘gracias’ or ‘merci’ can go a long way.So, are we good at attempting to speak another language (despite mispronouncing the words) or do we end up just increasing our volume in English?Travel Writer Joan Scales joins Seán to discuss.

Who are you?When someone asks you that question what first springs to mind? Your nationality? Your job? Your sexual orientation? Your religion?How useful are these concepts in actually describing us, and should we even be identifying as any of these things?Alexander Douglas is the Author of ‘Against Identity: The Wisdom of Escaping the Self’. He joins Seán to discuss.

‘One bill per table’ - that’s the new rule being rolled out across all restaurants in Mallorca to stop tourists bickering over the bill and wasting staff time.Surely splitting the bill can’t be that hard for restaurants, or can it?Chef and Restaurateur in Galway, JP McMahon, joins Seán to discuss.

Seán’s guest used to be a pilot with a major airline before he developed ‘eco-anxiety’, causing him to quit flying. He now features in a new documentary entitled ‘Guilt Trip’.George Hibberd joins to discuss.

You may be aware that the Taoiseach was on a state visit to Japan last week.What you may not know is that Japan has something of a thriving community of traditional Irish musicians, who are indigenous Japanese, with no ancestral ties to Ireland.Rieko Yamashita is the Chair of Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann Japan, and joins Seán to discuss.Image: John John Festival

What can philosophy teach us? And just how can applying philosophical logic help when assessing major news stories and global conflict?Co-Founder of Hear Listen, a community based philosophy project, Dr Robert Grant joins Seán to discuss.