Highlights From Moncrieff

GAA is such a central part of Irish life that, even if you are not athletically inclined at all, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid its sports.Well, two of them at least. Whereas Hurling and Football are ubiquitous, we almost forget that Handball exists.Why? And what happened to this once popular Irish pastime?Ailill Martin is a Documentary Filmmaker and Director of ‘Hit The Wall’, he joins Seán to discuss.

Is it healthy to reflect on past mistakes? Should we be wallowing in them? Or is it best to rarely think about things - and move on with our lives?Henry McKean has been out asking the public for their biggest regrets, and joins Seán to share what he’s heard.

Why do we yawn? Is it our body’s way to tell us we’re tired, or is it an attempt to keep us awake? Also, why is it infectious?Phil Smyth, Physicist, Engineer and Science Communicator joins Seán to discuss.

As a continent, Europe is the least engaged with cryptocurrencies. Are we lagging behind, and if so, could a so-called ‘Digital Euro’ be the solution?Joining Seán to discuss is Billy Kelleher, Fianna Fáil MEP and member of the EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee…

The amount of people living in Cornwall who now identify as Cornish nationals, as opposed to English, has doubled since 2011. With a Labour government now in power in Westminster, is the opportunity for devolution around the corner?Joining Seán to discuss is Joanie Willett, Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Exeter and Co-Director of the Institute for Cornish Studies…

You are probably familiar with the concept of the ‘15 minute city’, where the essential things in our lives aren’t too far away. While we struggle to get anywhere near that in Ireland, the Scandinavians are once again showing us up!Copenhagen’s Nordhavn district is a ‘5 minute city’ and it’s been operating successfully for over a decade.Anne Skovbro is the Managing Director of By & Havn, the government-owned city and port authority, which owns and manages Nordhavn. She joins Seán to discuss.

As technology has infiltrated almost every part of our lives, it may have gone unnoticed to many that it is also infiltrating death…Online grief groups, grief bots and QR codes on gravestones are all becoming aspects of the modern grieving process.But, are they doing us any good?Margaret O’Reilly-Carroll, Grief Counselor and Psychotherapist, joins Seán to discuss.

Free contraception is available in Ireland for women from ages 17 to 35.But, research in the UK suggests that many women are moving away from traditional hormonal contraception in favour of apps that track their cycles…Experts say that this is not advisable...Joining Seán to discuss is Dr. Siobhan O Higgins, Lecturer and Sexologist at the Department of Health Promotion and the School of Psychology at the University of Galway.

The woman who turned the Thomas the Tank Engine books into a global TV phenomenon has died. But, how did she pull it off?Joining Seán to discuss is a man who knew her well, Brannon Carty, lifelong fan of Thomas the Tank Engine and Producer of An Unlikely Fandom…

A newly declassified guide booklet for new spies reveals fascinating details on how the British trained their new espionage recruits in the middle part of the last century.Joining Seán to discuss is Professor Anthony Glees, Intelligence and Security Expert at the University of Buckingham…

Reports suggest today that Hamas has accepted the Gaza peace deal with Israel, some sources claim it could be finalised by the end of this week.But, what is entailed in brokering such a deal?Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern joins Seán to discuss.

There was a time when people spent their Friday and Saturday nights on the dance floor…Nowadays, there are just over 80 nightclubs open nationwide, a stark difference since the turn of the century.So, is the nightclub dead? Robbie Fox, owner of Renards Nightclub, joins Seán to discuss.

Yesterday, the Spanish Prime Minister unveiled a series of measures to attempt to alleviate the housing problem facing the country.Perhaps the most remarkable of these measures was a 100% tax on real estate bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU.So, is this something that we should be looking at here in Ireland?Rory Hearne, Social Democrat TD Dublin North West and author of ‘Gaffs: Why no one can get a house and what we can do about it’, joins Seán to discuss.

There are currently 65 people whose remains are lying in unmarked shallow graves around the country, since the War of Independence. A new campaign is calling for the government to locate and bury, in a respectful manner, these remains.Joining Seán to discuss is John Mooney, Crime and Security Correspondent for the Sunday Times…

Despite the many predictions of doom in the music industry, the UK trade body for music retailers has just reported a “20 year high for recorded music revenues”, which apparently exceeds the pinnacle of the CD era…So, is it boom time for musicians? Or is the picture a little more complicated?Eamon Forde is a Freelance Music Business and Technology Journalist, and joins Seán to discuss.

We can all see that there are pros and cons to the digital age.Where at one point we may gain a convenience, we might also lose a skill.But, has our reliance on technology fundamentally changed us as human beings? And are we losing touch with fundamental aspects of the human experience?Christine Rosen is the author of ‘The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World’ and joins Seán to discuss…

You might hear anecdotally that border collies are the smartest dogs, and in Britain at least, this appears to be the case.A 6-year-old Border Collie named Harvey has been named one of the world’s brightest dogs by Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest.Irene Hewlett is the owner of Harvey, and joins Seán to discuss.

While calls have been made for a statue to be erected to Sinead O’Connor in Dublin, current rules don’t allow a figure to be commemorated until 20 years after their death. But, should the regulations be changed?Joining Seán to discuss is Cllr Donna Cooney, Chairperson of the Naming and Commemorations Committee of Dublin City Council and Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin…

It seems that recently, people have become less aware about their personal conversations, leaving everyone in their vicinity in earshot of their business - especially on public transport.So, what have you heard?Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Seán to share what he’s heard.

Last month, figures revealed that a third of Irish couples aren't getting enough sleep. To help fix this, couples have been sleeping in separate beds, and it's now being called 'sleep divorce'...To discuss, Seán is joined by Fiona Brennan, Clinical Hypnotherapist and author of 'Sleep Well: Eight Habits to help you Fall asleep, stay asleep, wake up refreshed'.