Brendan O'Connor

RTÉ Radio 1

Brendan O'Connor has all you need for the weekend with time to pause and reflect on the week just gone. Featuring a selection of human interest, consumer and lifestyle stories, as well as keeping you up to date on the news stories that matter. Listen live Saturday and Sunday at 11am - 1pm on RTÉ Radio 1.

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100 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes100

Newest first

June 20 · 8 min
Sprucing up your packed lunch
Whether you’re prepping for a picnic, or sending your kids off to summer camp, Chef Shane Smith joins Brendan to discuss some delicious – and safe – ways to pack a bit more into your packed lunch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 20 · 8 min
Financial Cultures: avoiding the social pressure to overspend
Certified Financial Planner, Leah McMahon joins Brendan to discuss the financial cultures in different groups. How do you navigate a meal out, hen party, or family event where you’re expected to spend more than is comfortable for you? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 20 · 29 min
Roddy Collins, Mary Coughlan, Kyla Cobbler & more - Advice for the Class of 2026
As the 2026 Leaving Cert class finish their exams, Brendan gets some words of wisdom on navigating adulthood, from singer Mary Coughlan; former footballer Roddy Collins; eight-time All-Ireland winner, Philly McMahon; Comedian, Kyla Cobbler; Poet, performer and playwright, Felispeaks; Comedian and podcaster, Justine Stafford. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 20 · 19 min
Adam Harris: Why I’m leaving ‘AsIAm’...
Adam Harris, CEO of autism charity, AsIAm, joins Brendan to explain why he’s moving on from the charity he founded, to become the CEO for Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 20 · 29 min
Daniel Wiffen: “I’ll never replicate the joy of a really tough training session”
Ireland’s most successful male swimmer ever, Daniel Wiffen joins Brendan to discuss his path to Olympic victory, his training regime and the music that gets him through it all - including one Christmas song! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 14 · 7 min
The rise of the Naked Nail
Broadcaster Aifric O’Connell explains the trickle-down effect of top influencers and catwalk shows abandoning gel manicures in favour of a return to a healthier, more natural-looking nail, more in line with the recent Quiet Luxury fashion trend. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 14 · 10 min
The Watchlist
Joining Brendan to discuss the week’s film and TV highlights are writer, Henrietta McKervey and producer, Eoin Sweeney. They discuss Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, Bad: The Song That Saved My Life, The World Cup, The Isle of Wight music festival and Harlan Coben’s I Will Find You amongst many more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 14 · 31 min
Patrick Freyne -“There’s a beauty in accepting that you’re probably just average”
Irish Times Writer Patrick Freyne has written his first novel, ‘Experts In A Dying Field’. He talks to Brendan about identifying as a yuppie in his youth, his years playing in bands, work burnout, obsoletion in middle age and why having children isn’t the be-all-and-end-all. He charts his life through five songs from The Monkees to Pixies and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 14 · 49 min
Newspaper Panel
Joining Brendan to discuss the big stories in Sunday’s newspapers are Mary Regan, Political Editor, Irish Independent & Sunday Independent; Alan Barrett, Research Professor at the ESRI; Hazel Chu, Dublin City Councillor and Green Party Deputy Leader and Cormac Lucey, Columnist, The Sunday Times. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 13 · 9 min
Stefanie Preissner’s Father’s Day Gift Guide
Writer and broadcaster Stefanie Preissner is back with one of her, by now, legendary gift guides. This time it’s ideas for buying for your father. She’s suggesting concerts, cookery courses, whiskey tasting, introducing your Dad to a day spa, a 10kg box of beef and many more ideas! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 13 · 5 min
“Porridge with chocolate milk? Yes! Change up the liquids you use!”
Chef and Instagrammer Alannah Sheehan gives ideas and recipes on jazzing up your daily porridge, how to make porridge bread and also a recipe for a healthy and a not-so-healthy granola See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 13 · 10 min
Irish priest and spiritual advisor to Anthropic reacts to U.S. ban on foreign use
Fr. Brendan McGuire, AI advisor to the Pope and sometimes spiritual advisor to Anthropic, gives his take as Anthropic halts access to top AI models following a U.S. ban on foreign use. Before his ordination, Fr. Brendan worked in Silicon Valley as an engineer and tech exec. He believes technology should serve humanity rather than control it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 13 · 27 min
Salman Rushdie - “It wasn’t true, I never lived in Bono’s back garden!”
Booker Prize-winning author, Salman Rushdie, talked to Brendan about recovering from a knife attack which saw him lose his right eye, how laughter helped in his recovery, his thoughts on the US v Iran war, how free speech has never been more under threat and his new collection of short stories, ‘The Eleventh Hour’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 13 · 41 min
Ciara Mageean - “If I’m going to die, I’m going to fit in as much living as possible now”
Olympian Ciara Mageean spent her career representing Ireland and Northern Ireland, including a Gold at the 1500m European Championships in 2024, a year before the cancer diagnosis that ended her career. She talks to Brendan about her career, her terminal diagnosis, grief for the life she’ll never have and why we should all live in the moment. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 7 · 11 min
The Watchlist
Joining Brendan to discuss the week’s film and TV highlights are broadcaster, Fionnuala Jones and Andy McCarroll, host of the Extra Vision Podcast. They discuss J. Lo’s romcom “Office Romance”; a new series where Irish people explore their migrant roots, “Backstory”; and the latest show from “It’s a Sin” creator, Russell T Davies, “Tip Toe”. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 7 · 11 min
“It felt like a secret world, with music from another planet” - The Pretty in Pink soundtrack at 40
Musician and broadcaster, Tom Dunne joins Brendan to mark the fortieth anniversary of the brat-pack comedy, ‘Pretty in Pink’ - and the iconic soundtrack album that it spawned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 7 · 26 min
Elvis Costello: “This is my face – there's nothing I can do about it!”
It’s fifty years since Declan Patrick MacManus burst on to the music scene as Elvis Costello. Ahead of a visit to Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens for a concert on July 5th, with The Imposters and Charlie Sexton, Elvis speaks to Brendan about his Irish heritage, songwriting with Paul McCartney, and producing Shane McGowan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 7 · 54 min
The Newspaper Panel
Joining Brendan to discuss the big stories in Sunday’s newspapers are consultant in paediatric intensive care at CHI Crumlin, Dr Suzanne Crowe; head of the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit, Pete Lunn; political correspondent at The Irish Times, Ellen Coyne; and commentator and head of the Iona Institute, David Quinn. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 6 · 4 min
“After your show aired, the guy I loved, from years back, got in touch...”
In February, Brendan read out a letter from a listener, about his love affair with a rival athlete, 30 years ago. While watching Heated Rivalry, this listener was flooded with memories of that lost love. After Brendan read this letter on air, the man’s former lover heard it, and reached out to him. The listener fills us in on what happened next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 6 · 11 min
Greenways: “Cycling is about much more than getting from A to B”
President of Cycling Ireland, and former TD, Ciaran Cannon, offers a guide to Ireland’s 750km of greenways. He describes the tourism, commuting and lifestyle benefits that greenways bring – and suggests routes for families with kids, romantic getaways or city dwellers with an afternoon to spare. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.