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 6 · 12 min
Masterchef’s Anna Haugh: “Appalling treatment of restaurant staff makes my blood boil”
Host of BBC Masterchef, and owner of Myrtle restaurant, chef Anna Haugh talks to Brendan about unacceptable behaviour in restaurant kitchens, her first season hosting Masterchef, and the perfect food when hosting a summer party. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 6 · 31 min
Author, Elizabeth Strout: “A marriage can be a lonely place”
Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Elizabeth Strout, joined Brendan to talk about contemporary life in the US, loneliness within marriages, and her latest novel, The Things we Never Say. She was in Ireland for an appearance at the Borris House Festival of Writing and Ideas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
June 6 · 28 min
Richard Hogan: “Too many feel their boundaries should never be breached”
Psychotherapist Richard Hogan joins Brendan to talk about boundaries: teaching people how to treat you, putting down boundaries within your family and dealing with tricky people who try to undermine you. He also explains the critical difference between being an authoritative parent, and an authoritarian parent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 31 · 6 min
Does technology mean that our cars are no longer private spaces?
Irish Independent technology editor, Adrian Weckler, joins Brendan to explore the increasingly sophisticated technology built-in to modern cars. From driver assistance systems and connected services to data collection and privacy concerns, he explains what's happening behind the dashboard and what motorists should know. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 31 · 12 min
The Watchlist
Joining Brendan to discuss the week’s film and TV highlights are writer, Zara Hedderman, and Business Post Film Critic, John Maguire. They discuss the return of Love Island and one of the shows of the year, Star City. Meanwhile – on the big screen - Mandalorian & Grogu and Backrooms are up for review. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 31 · 29 min
“I thought I was the saviour of the planet” - GOT actor, Hannah Murray
Game of Thrones actor, Hannah Murray, joins Brendan to discuss her memoir The Make Believe, which recounts her experience becoming involved in a wellness community that led to her believing she was the saviour of the planet. She reflects on the search for belonging, and how she eventually found her way out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 31 · 54 min
The Newspaper Panel
Joining Brendan to discuss the big stories in Sunday’s newspapers are Oisín Coghlan, public policy advisor; Dan O’Brien, Chief Economist at the Institute of International & European Affairs; Sarah Carey, columnist at the Irish Independent; and Lorna Fitzpatrick, from communications firm, Fenton Fitzwilliam. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 30 · 9 min
“Being an influencer is the loneliest job” - TikToker, Miriam Mullins
Tables for one... solo travel... jogging alone... After turning 30, TikToker, Miriam Mullins, has decided to do more activities on her own – with a goal of becoming more comfortable with her own company. She chatted with Brendan about her recent trip alone to New York, parasocial relationships, and the loneliness of being a social media influencer See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 30 · 6 min
“Although the U.S. has an awful lot of problems, most Americans will still celebrate the 250th anniversary”
Larry Donnelly joins Brendan ahead of an MMA cage fight at the White House – to celebrate President Trump’s birthday. They also discuss the Trump plan for a Great American State Fair and the forces shaping modern America. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 30 · 9 min
“Lot of lemon juice, lots of lemon zest; delicious”
Chef and food writer Domini Kemp joins Brendan to champion the versatility of lemons in everyday cooking. She explores how zest and juice can lift everything from fish and chicken to nutty pairings like hazelnuts, bringing brightness and balance to simple dishes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 30 · 37 min
"Did I want to be an actor or a movie star? That was the question for me" - Jack Reynor
Actor Jack Reynor joins Brendan for My Life in Five Songs, reflecting on a career that has taken him from Wicklow to Hollywood. He discusses the reality of an ADHD diagnosis, and how family life and the support of his wife Madeline have kept him grounded. His song choices include Brian Eno, The Band and Talos. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 30 · 31 min
“I’m telling his story, because Brian can’t” - Emily O’Reilly
Three years after the death of her brother, Brian, former European Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, tells Brendan about her search for answers. Since contracting HIV decades ago, Brian lived a very full life, but – despite so much recent progress in treatments - she says his death was reminiscent of a different era. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24 · 8 min
The low down on cholesterol
Professor Robert Byrne, Director of Cardiology at the Mater Private talks to Dearbhail through the difference between good and bad cholesterol, why your cholesterol number matters, what it means for your health now and into the future and he gives his strategies to manage See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24 · 5 min
Why brack is not just for Halloween
The Cupcake Guy Graham Herterich gives Dearbhail baking ideas that include nuts and dried fruit - from a coffee and peacan brack to the ultimate bread-and-butter pudding with raisins. He also gives recipes for indulgent flavoured butters that add depth and zing to all kinds of dishes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24 · 25 min
“I was a very shy kid and suffered from shyness right up until my 40s”
Garden designer and TV presenter, Diarmuid Gavin joins Dearbhail to talk through the songs that bring him back to moments and milestones through his life. He talks about tragic death of his brother as a child, the love he felt in his childhood home and how it took him until his 40s to overcome his profound shyness and social anxiety. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24 · 34 min
“I was so moved by the experience of hopelessness I shared with these women”
Author Doireann Ní Ghríofa joins Dearbhail to discuss her haunting new book ‘Said The Dead’, which explores the archive, history and lives lived in Cork’s Victorian asylum. The book blends medical notes from the time, the life story of the extraordinary physician, Dr Lucia Fitzgerald, and Ní Ghríofa’s own empathetic quest to understand their world – which led her to trespassing and posing as a millionaire. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24 · 10 min
How to holiday with friends without falling out
Travel expert Lisa Regan, fresh from a trip to Amsterdam with friends to see Harry Styles, joins Dearbhail to talk about group holidays and why groups of women are the largest growth area in travel. They discuss what makes a group holiday work - from avoiding rows over the kitty, to accommodation options and top tips for activities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24 · 13 min
The Watchlist
Joining Dearbhail to discuss the week’s film and TV highlights are Director of the Dublin International Film Festival, Grainne Humphries and Movies Editor with the RTE Guide, Michael Doherty. They discuss Irish films Power Ballad (starring Paul Rudd) and 500 Miles (starring Bill Nighy). Fresh from Cannes, Grainne identifies the big winners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24 · 52 min
The Newspaper Panel
Joining Dearbhail to discuss the big stories in Sunday’s newspapers, are disability advocate and mother of the late Harvey Morrisson Sherratt, Gillian Sherratt; Irish Times columnist and public affairs consultant, Gerard Howlin; Former Irish Ambassador, Dan Mulhall; and political reporter with the Irish Independent, Aisling Moloney. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
May 24 · 23 min
Playwright Deirdre Kinahan - “Living to retire is such a cod. None of us knows what’s coming next”
Playwright Deirdre Kinahan joins Dearbhail to talk about her latest play ‘Refuge’ which explores Ireland’s complex history with migration, through the experience of an 18th Century German Palatine family and a more recent arrival from Afghanistan. She talks about her long career and why cancer made her more optimistic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.