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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 entertainment

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258 episodes
Avg 11 min
English

Episodes 258

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Friday · 10 min
What makes a good children's book? - Baibre Holmes Reports
If you’re still at the stage of reading books to your kids, you’ll have a sense of what they like and don’t like. You might even think that you could write your own children’s book, but what makes one good? Newstalk Reporter Baibre Holmes went to the Central Model Infants’ School in Dublin to see what the children like at the moment, and sent in this report.
Friday · 8 min
What exactly is a banshee?
With the kids getting ready for Halloween, you probably won’t see any costumes of the banshee: the shrieking harbinger of doom. What is the story behind the tradition of the banshee in Ireland? Dr. Jenny Butler from the Study of Religions Department at UCC joins Seán to discuss.
Friday · 12 min
Nitrate-free ham - why does it matter?
If you’re fond of a ham sandwich, it’s time to be very afraid… Health influencers have been warning about the dangers of processed ham, and how the nitrates in them can be harmful. Dietician Orla Walsh joins Seán to discuss this thinking.
Friday · 7 min
The history of cheating in marathons
If you share a home with someone training for the Dublin Marathon, the wait is almost over with the event this weekend. Running, particularly in marathons, can be a bit of an obsession for people, and has led to some bending of the rules and cheating. Ian O'Riordan, Sports Writer with the Irish Times joins Seán to discuss cheating over the history of marathons.
Thursday · 9 min
International Stammering Awareness Day - what is the experience?
Around 50,000 people in Ireland have a stammer. Globally, it’s about 1% of the population. This means not only occasionally getting stuck on a word, but having people finishing sentences for you… Joining Seán to discuss this on International Stammering Awareness Day is Veronica Lynch, Board Member with the Irish Stammering Association.
Thursday · 7 min
Who was the first openly transgender pro athlete?
The participation of trans athletes in sports is an ongoing source of controversy, but it’s not a new issue. Five decades ago, the US tennis world was convulsed by a court case involving a trans female player. Julie Kliegman, author of ‘Finding Renée Richards: The Groundbreaking Story of Tennis’s Trans Pioneer’ joins Seán to discuss.
Thursday · 18 min
What does your preferred colour say about you? - Henry McKean Asks
What does the colour of your car and house say about you? Do you go grey and play it safe, or do you prefer bright vibrant colours? Colour can influence how we feel and act depending on personal and cultural factors. Henry McKean has been investigating, and joins Seán to discuss!
Thursday · 12 min
‘AI Comedians’ are stealing jokes - can anything be done?
AI has been stealing fruits of human culture for a while now, ripping from articles, books and art. This has even extended to the world of comedy, where joke thievery has become common! Comedian Peter Flanagan joins Seán to discuss.
Wednesday · 4 min
The real bear that inspired Winnie the Pooh
100 years ago this month, a famous fictional bear was introduced to the world. Winnie the Pooh is actually based on a real black bear named Winnifred. What is the story behind this connection, and how did it inspire the honey-loving bear we know today? Carina Philips, Head of Museum Collections at the Hunterian Museum in the Royal College of Surgeons England joins Seán to discuss.
Wednesday · 17 min
What does the life of a Paranormal Investigator look like?
You wouldn’t think that the paranormal can be a family business, but for Chris McKinnell, he took an apprenticeship under his grandparents (who inspired ‘The Conjuring’ film series) as a Paranormal Investigator! Currently, he is in the Sharon Rectory in Donegal on a paranormal search, and joins Seán to discuss.
Wednesday · 9 min
Would you get a pet rat?
Most families eventually get to the point when they have to decide if they want to get pets or not. For Anne Louise Foley, her family adopted Pickle and Biscuit. The catch? They’re rats! She joins Seán to discuss.
Wednesday · 16 min
Moncrieff’s Murder Club: Murdering for competition
Every Wednesday, Seán will be joined by someone to hear unusual stories on heinous crimes… This week, Cassie Delaney joins to discuss cases involving murders stemming from competitiveness.
Wednesday · 13 min
Homelessness increasing among older people - what can be done?
Homelessness is an issue that we usually associate with younger people, and while the proportion of older people affected by it is lower, that number is increasing... Joining Seán to discuss this is Sean Moynihan, CEO of ALONE.
October 20 · 11 min
42 year pub crawl marks its 25,000th stop!
To go on a pub crawl requires a good deal of commitment, and people will often drop out before the end. Peter Hill and his team never stopped, and have recently visited their 25,000th pub! Peter Hill, Co-Founder of The Black Country Ale Tairsters joins Seán to discuss.
October 20 · 10 min
What is life like as a professional nanny?
Plenty of people in this country employ a nanny, and the average wage for one is 50 grand! So, what does the life of a professional nanny look like? Susan Dunn, Director of Belgrave Nanny Agency in Dublin joins Seán to discuss.
October 20 · 7 min
Is there a difference between generic and branded medicine?
If you’re buying over the counter or prescribed medications, you may get the generic version of that drug rather than the name brand. Is there ever a difference between them, is the name brand actually better? Rebecca Barry, Pharmacist and owner at Care Plus Pharmacy, Adare, Co. Limerick joins Seán to discuss.
October 20 · 6 min
Has this maths equation finally been solved by AI?
The Navier-Stokes equations have been around since the mid 1800s. They were devised as a way to predict how fluids would move, but it has been extremely difficult to prove that the equation works in all situations. Seemingly, AI has solved this equation in 90 hours, but not everyone is convinced. Aoife Kearins, History of Maths PhD student at the University of Oxford joins Seán to discuss.
October 20 · 22 min
Ruhama Annual Report shows increase in trafficking for women in Ireland
Ruhama is an Irish charity that supports women impacted by prostitution and human trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation. Their latest Annual Report has shown an increase in trafficking and violence against the women who have been trafficked. Barbara Condon, CEO of Ruhama, joins Seán to discuss. If you have been affected by this item, help is available. You can call Ruhama’s freephone number at 1800 02 02 02, or text REACH to 50100.
October 19 · 5 min
Where in the world are Kevin Bacon’s clothes?
Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon is currently in Ireland to shoot a film, but his clothes aren’t. He opted to ship clothes from his home in New York, and watched the tracking as it bounced from country to country, with none of those countries being Ireland - including three trips to Israel! What’s going on with his clothes, and how can this sort of thing happen with shipping? Conor Pope, Consumer Affairs Correspondent and Pricewatch Editor with the Irish Times joins Seán to discuss.
October 19 · 16 min
The best and worst bosses you’ve had? - Henry McKean Asks
Last Friday was ‘National Boss Day’, which was established in 1958 in the US and, by 1979, Hallmark even issued a greeting card to celebrate it. But in recent years, because of the power dynamic, it isn’t universally recognised. But are bosses people too? And is there such a thing as a good boss? Henry McKean has been finding out and joins Seán to discuss.

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