

Moncrieff
Newstalk
The daily dose of madness and intrigue from Sean Moncrieff and his rebel radio crew.CONVERSATION THAT COUNTS | Ireland’s national independent talk station for news, sport, analysis and entertainmentListen to Newstalk at http://newstalk.com/listenlive | Download the GoLoud app now, the new home for Newstalk
Episodes
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May 21, 2025 • 9min
Drummer with The Who fired for “overplaying”
The Who’s drummer Zak Starkey has been fired for apparently “overplaying”, but what does this mean, and how do drummers strike a balance between musical expression and not taking over?Joining Seán to discuss is Dave Hingerty, a Professional Session Drummer and former University Lecturer in Drumming at BIMM Music Institute Dublin...

May 21, 2025 • 10min
Proposal to shut Swan Alley to curb antisocial behaviour
We all know the ones, the laneways that you would be afraid to walk down at any time of the day or night...Well, this afternoon, Dublin Councillors will be meeting to put forward a vote to close Swan Alley, which is just off Thomas Street in the Liberties, Dublin 8.The small alleyway has been earmarked due to illegal drug taking and antisocial behaviour, and follows a similar move to gate off Harbour Court just off Abbey Street in Dublin City centre last year.Labour Councillor for the area, Darragh Moriarty joins Seán to discuss.Image: Google Maps

May 21, 2025 • 14min
How should you deal with lazy colleagues?
In any job, it’s likely that you’ll encounter a lazy colleague or two, so what can you do to ensure that they don’t get on your absolute nerves and drive you mad?Whether it’s someone who falls asleep at their desk or simply leaves all their work for others – we find out should you rat them out to the boss?Career Psychologist and author of ‘Total Reset’, Sinead Brady, joins Seán to discuss.

May 20, 2025 • 8min
Auschwitz Memorial launch digital replica intended for movies
The Auschwitz Memorial has announced a multi-million euro project, in which they have created an exact digital replica of the concentration camp for use in feature films. But, how will the project work, and how are movies about Auschwitz made since the ban on filming there took effect in the late 1980s?Joining Seán to discuss is Film Critic Esther McCarthy…Image: auschwitz.org

May 20, 2025 • 12min
Why youth clubs need to be saved
There was a time when there were many youth clubs dotted around the country, but as smartphones take over, is it time to save these institutions as the last bastion of real world connectivity for our young people?Joining me now is Colman Noctor, Child Psychotherapist, who has been writing about this in the Examiner today…

May 20, 2025 • 7min
Is the semicolon dying out?
According to research, the death of the semicolon is near; with its usage in English books plummeting by almost half in two decades. But, what is the appropriate use of the semicolon? What grammatical function does it intend to fill? And, is its increasing rarity a cause for concern?Lisa McLendon is Author of The Perfect English Grammar Workbook and has done research on the semicolon. She joins Seán to discuss.

May 20, 2025 • 6min
What’s behind the recent boom of silk webs?
If you’ve been spending time in nature recently or been going on hikes or walks thanks to the nice weather, you might’ve come across large silk webs covering trees and bushes.Collie Ennis, Biodiversity Officer in Trinity College Dublin, joins Seán to explain exactly what that fascinating silk sheet is, and why you should just admire it rather than be afraid of it.Image: Butterfly Conservation

May 20, 2025 • 8min
The man behind Kneecap’s balaclavas
Have you ever wondered who is behind the knitting needles for Kneecap’s famous tricolour balaclavas?Lewis Kenny joins Seán to discuss how he started off at a knitting class, and now makes balaclavas for Kneecap.Image: @tricolourbalaclava on Instagram

May 20, 2025 • 8min
Should children get pocket money?
Most of us probably remember getting a pound off your mother or the old man to go down and buy some comics or one hundred penny jellies.It’s probably a treasured memory for some, but was it a beneficial experience? Did it affect how you viewed money as an adult, and should those of us who are parents now give out pocket money at all?Rachel O’Dwyer is Lecturer in Digital Cultures in the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and Author of ‘Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform’. She joins Seán to discuss.

May 20, 2025 • 14min
Are Irish drivers guilty of ‘middle lane hogging’?
Do middle lane hoggers drive you mad?Motorway driving can be stressful at the best of times, but the phenomenon of people sitting in the middle lane instead of moving in and out of the slow lane is something that you see right across the country.So, are Irish drivers worse than others, and why is this a bad and dangerous habit?Geraldine Herbert, Motoring Editor at the Sunday Independent, joins Seán to discuss.


