Highlights From Moncrieff

This year marks the 90th anniversary of a piece of legislation which had a profound impact on the way people socialised in this country.Joining Seán to discuss the Public Dance Halls Act of 1935 is Daniel Carey, a Post Doctoral Researcher at DCU…Image: Irish Photo Archive

The traditional Irish hotel and restaurant menu has evolved enormously over the past four decades, with many homegrown staples, such as lamb and salmon, no longer featuring as costs rise.Joining Seán to digest this is Paul Gallagher, Head of the Irish Hotels Federation…

We all know Darwin’s Theory of Evolution - that we as humans all share a common ancestor. But, what else falls under the bracket of evolution? Is an iPhone a product of evolution? Or even JD Vance? Is everything evolving?Joining Seán to explain is Mark Vellend, author of ‘Everything Evolves: Why Evolution Explains More Than We Think, From Proteins to Politics’.

'Friendflation' is a new internet term, which defines the idea that it is too expensive nowadays to have too many friends, and all the dinners and nights out that go alongside it.Is this something you suffer from?Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to share what he's heard.

We have had a huge amount of tourists visiting Ireland over the course of this summer, and generally they tend to frequent a lot of the same spots: the Cliffs of Moher, the Ring of Kerry, the Guinness Storehouse, etc.However, a new (and slightly odd) tourism attraction has recently emerged in Limerick city, thanks to Blindboy Boatclub.Fans of the author and podcaster have started flocking to Limerick’s “bird shit district”.So, what is it? Blindboy Boatclub joins Seán to discuss.

This week, the Chicago Tribune announced that it was scrapping its film critic position entirely. Is there a danger that cultural criticism is on the way out, as influencers take precedence with so-called ‘content’ rather than critical evaluation? Joining Seán to discuss this is Film Reviewer Esther McCarthy…

In 1904, James Joyce travelled from Ireland to Trieste by train, getting a little lost along the way. Now, the novelist Caoilinn Hughes has retraced Joyce’s journey in an attempt to understand the difference that over a century has made to this trip.He joins Seán to discuss.

A lavender marriage is a marriage between a man and a woman. The catch? One, or both of them, is homosexual. In this scenario, why do these marriages happen?Joining Seán to discuss is someone whose husband is gay, Samantha Wynn, based in Los Angeles.

A recent study has found lower rates of cognitive impairment among seniors who frequently use computers, smartphones, and the internet than those who avoid technology or use it less often, but why is this?Joining Seán to discuss is Dr. Henry Mahncke, CEO of Brain HQ...

When you’re buying a new car, you’d be mad not to take it for a test drive. How else could you really know whether it’s the car for you?Yet, when we buy a house, a much more expensive and longterm purchase we barely kick the tires. We may have one or two twenty minute visits before making the call.There must be a better way. In America, more and more people are requesting a sleepover in advance of buying a property, but could that work here?Estate Agent Owen O’Reilly joins Seán to discuss.

A lady was recently at a baby shower, and the mother to be was manifesting the sex of the baby, convinced it would work in her favour. Is this positive psychology actually borderline toxic on the basis there are some actual things that you can't possibly control or change?Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to discuss.

Dolphins have long made the waters off Ireland home, with the first record of a dolphin in Irish waters being recorded as far back as 752 AD. But in recent decades, dolphins have been coming closer to shore, and this isn’t necessarily a good thing.Ken O’Sullivan is an Underwater Cameraman and Filmmaker, and has been recording the animals for over 20 years.He joins Seán to discuss his new documentary covering the subject.

For decades now there has been a widely held belief among researchers that we are at our happiest in early adulthood, and then as we age into our middle age, we get more and more gloomy and unsatisfied with our lives.But, new research suggests that for the first time in generations, the average 22-year-old is likely to be unhappier than their parents…So, why then are younger adults struggling so much with their overall happiness?Colman Noctor is a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, and joins Seán to discuss.

Seán’s guest has spent the past 20 years recording her relationship with her son Jim. The culmination of this longitudinal project is ‘Motherboard’, a film that will screen at the upcoming IFI Documentary Festival on Sunday September 14th, followed by a Q&A with Victoria and her son afterwards.Victoria joins Seán to discuss.

For many communities, there is a sense that as life gets busier some of the heart of the community can fade away; in Bluebell in south west Dublin, a new initiative is changing things and giving local people a safe place to go.Dr Tommy Coombes manages the Bluebell Community Development Project, and coordinates the regeneration programme. He joins Seán to discuss.Image: https://bluebellcdp.ie

When was the last time you got together with all of your oldest friends?Friendship changes as we get older, and it can get harder and harder to prioritise time with pals…Journalist and author Pat McCarry had great plans for his 20-year J1 reunion, but learned that life in your forties is very different to what you envisioned when you were footloose and fancyfree in your early twenties...Pat joins Seán to discuss.

Will Taylor Swift change the engagement ring industry after sharing shots of her giant ring and romantic proposal with NFL player Travis Kelce?Matthew Weldon is an Antique and Vintage Jewellery Expert, who owns Courtville Antiques. He joins Seán to discuss the history of engagement rings…Image: @taylorswift on Instagram

A new EU directive on pay transparency is going to change how open companies need to be about the salaries they offer to their employees, but what will this mean for cutting the gender pay gap?Joining Seán to discuss is Deirdre Malone, Head of Employment at EY Law Ireland...

It is very likely that someone has said “one hundred percent” to you when what they actually mean is “yes”, but why has this affirmation become so commonplace?Joining Seán to unpack this is Gail Flanagan, Researcher in Applied Linguistics at the University of Limerick...

Jonathan DeBurca Butler joins Seán Moncrieff to take listeners through the week's international stories…