Brendan O'Connor
Episodes
The Newspaper Panel
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to dissect the stories making the headlines today, are Executive Director of TASC, Shana Cohen; Special Correspondent for the Irish Ex...
Blindboy on battling agoraphobia, the trauma of school and how Stevie Wonder stood in his living room!
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Podcaster and writer, Blindboy talks Brendan through the soundtrack to his life, including songs by Stevie Wonder, Randy Newman and Gil Scott-Heron.Se...
The Watchlist
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Henrietta McKervey and host of the ‘Here and Back Again’ podcast, Dave O’Callaghan join Brendan to discuss some of the best film and TV t...
Tickets for Christmas? The best music and comedy gigs coming in 2026
07 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Broadcaster Aifric O’Connell tells Brendan about some of the best live music and comedy gigs in Ireland next year, to help anyone putting tickets on...
How Manchán Magan changed Bobby Ewing’s life
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Patrick Duffy, AKA Bobby Ewing from Dallas, and his partner, actor Linda Purl, talk about their new RTÉ show, ‘Duffy’s Pub’ which will ai...
Family drama, loss and unwanted guests– Richard Hogan on real Christmas dilemmas
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psychotherapist Richard Hogan offers advice on how to navigate difficult family relationships over Christmas, answering listeners’ questions about u...
Simple head, neck and shoulder hacks with physiotherapist Aisling Frawley
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chartered Physiotherapist Aisling Frawley tells Brendan why we experience stiffness in our head, neck and shoulders, and talks him through some easy e...
What’s behind the crypto meltdown
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Managing Director of Baggot Investment Partners, Peter Brown, explains to Brendan why a trillion dollars was wiped off the value of cryptocurrencies i...
Simple chocolatey Christmas showstoppers
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pastry Chef and CEO of Grá Chocolates, Grainne Mullins talks Brendan through some delicious recipes to help you celebrate the festive season.See omny...
The Newspaper Panel
30 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to dissect the stories making the headlines today, were Mary Regan, Political editor with The Irish Independent; David W. Higgins, Eco...
Two old pals on rediscovering their friendship in the shadow of mortality
30 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psychologist and writer Tony Bates and his old pal Denis Cagney join Brendan to talk about reconnecting more than 50 years after first striking up a c...
The Watchlist
30 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Entertainment journalist, Sarina Bellisimo and TV and radio producer Eoin Sweeney cast a discerning eye over the TV shows and movies that are worth a ...
Victoria Mary Clarke “I’m haunted by Shane and Sinead”
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the eve of the second anniversary of the death of her husband, Shane McGowan, writer Victoria Mary Clarke talks about grief, ice baths and breath w...
What does the corruption crisis in Ukraine mean for President Zelensky?
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As President Zelensky’s chief of staff resigns following an anti-corruption scandal, Christopher Miller, Ukraine Correspondent with the Financial Ti...
Benedict Cumberbatch - “I want Hollywood to clean up its own act”
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch tells Brendan about his activism, the waste created in the making of a movie, why toxic masculinity needs to constantly be ...
Epic Toasties with Chef Maggie Roche
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Café owner and chef Maggie Roche brings Brendan the best and tastiest toasted sandwiches for all moods and taste buds. She talks Brendan through an e...
Magnificent Irish lakes
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There are 12,000 lakes in Ireland. Pól O’Conghaile, Travel Editor of Independent.ie talks about the tourism amenities added to many Irish lakes ove...
Fallen out of love with your job? Tips to brighten your day at the office!
29 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Occupational psychologist and shaman, Leisha Redmond McGrath talks to Brendan about the small changes you can make to create a better day at work, how...
Nick Fuentes, Groypers and the battle for the future of Trump’s MAGA movement
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump’s MAGA movement is embroiled in internal disputes over the status of white nationalist, Nick Fuentes, and the surprise resignation of G...
Newspaper Panel
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to discuss the Sunday papers are Pat Leahy, Political Editor of the Irish Times; novelist, Catherine Prasifka; Brenda Power, Columnist...
The Watchlist
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Arts journalist, Zara Hedderman and Entertainment Editor at the RTE Guide, Michael Doherty tell Brendan about the TV and Cinema highlights of the week...
“He died three days later. Nobody knew where he came from” - Alice Leahy
23 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Homeless campaigner, and founder of The Alice Leahy Trust, Alice Leahy, tells Brendan about her vocation, her late husband Charlie, and how she nearly...
American desserts, to celebrate Thanksgiving
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Caryna Camerino, owner of Dublin’s Camerino Bakery, tells Brendan about some American desserts, for anyone hoping to mark the American holiday this ...
Stephanie Preissner’s Gift Guide for Men
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor and screenwriter Stephanie Preissner joins Brendan for the first of a two-part series on gift-buying this festive season. This week Stephanie of...
“I thought I’d just have a few beers... I went back on the vodka” - Jockey, Oisín Murphy
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kerryman, Oisin Murphy – who recently won the British Flat Jockeys Championship title for the fifth time – tells Brendan about his destructive rel...
John Cleese: “I had a big laugh about my divorce; then I had a breakdown”
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Comedy legend John Cleese tells Brendan about Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, the power of laughter, and his reflections on what happens after death. He ...
The Watchlist
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nadine O'Regan, Irish Times Arts journalist, and Andy McCarroll, Host of the Extra Vison Podcast talk Brendan through the best TV and Cinema this week...
"Could AI have a goal to destroy us?" "Yes"
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"Godfather of AI" Professor Geoffrey Hinton won a Nobel Prize for his early work on machine learning which were the foundations for modern Artificial ...
Your guide to (finally!) buying a proper raincoat
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew McConnell, Editor of Outsider.ie, tells Brendan everything you need to know about buying an effective raincoat AND maintaining its waterproofi...
Newspaper Panel
16 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to talk through what's making the news today are: Tabitha Monahan, Political Reporter at the Irish Independent; Oisin Coghlan, Public ...
"I fell asleep during my love scene with Roger Moore" - Jane Seymour
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hollywood actor, Jane Seymour, and her partner of two years, musician and producer, John Zambetti, are back living in Ireland this winter, so they dro...
Navigating the Momosphere - "The mums DO say it's all on them"
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The new Sky show, 'All Her Fault', shines a light on marraige, motherhood, judgement and who-does-what around the house. Author Edel Coffey, and Kara ...
"Obesity stigma is rising due to new weight-loss drugs" - Prof. Donal O'Shea
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The continuing explosion in demand for new wight-loss drugs is raising difficult questions about how society talks about weight, and how it treats peo...
A Roast Chicken Masterclass with Chef Rory O'Connell
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us can roast a chicken, but how can we make it next level? Chef, teacher, TV presenter and co-founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School, Rory O'Con...
"Acne affects 35% of women and 20% of men"
15 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Prof Caitríona Ryan, from the Institute of Dermatologists explains the causes and treatments for acne, why it's not just a teenage phenomenon and why...
The Watchlist
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Maguire, film critic with The Sunday Business Post and Grainne Humphries, Director of the Dublin International Film Festival give us the definiti...
You’ve Still Got a Friend in Me – Toy Story turns 30
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Disney – Pixar classis first premiered on November 22nd, 1995, starring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, as Sherrif Woody and Buzz Lightye...
“I almost stole Bowie’s stubbed out cigarette!” - Ian Dempsey
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ultra cool and charming radio icon Ian Dempsey talks Brendan through his life in five songs, from his early days working in pirate radio, his imminent...
The Newspaper Panel
09 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to talk through what’s making the news today are Louise Bayliss, Head of Social Justice and Policy at Saint Vincent de Paul, Dr Aman...
“At 30, the last thing I thought was happening to me was a stroke” - influencer Shauna Lindsay
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Influencer and model Shauna Lindsay talks to Brendan about experiencing a stroke at the age of 30. She describes how she was doing boxing work in the ...
Farewell Uachtarán Michael D Higgins!
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Singer Songwriter, Dermot Kennedy, Poet, Rita-Ann Higgins, Professor of Politics at DCU Gary Murphy, and Social Justice Campaigner Ruairí McKiernan l...
“I had a deep fear that I would be a bad dad because of my childhood” - Richard Hogan
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Psychotherapist and author Richard Hogan joins Brendan to talk about how to be a good dad, how the job has changed through the generations, how to cha...
The soup recipes you need for cold dark winter days
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Need a comforting warming soup recipe? Chef Domini Kemp can deliver. From home-made stock and an easy fish soup to a vegan friendly red pepper soup an...
How to look after your microbiome while it looks after you.
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Gut is the "second brain" with the biggest collection of nerve cells outside of the brain itself. Registered Dietician Sarah Keogh talks to Brenda...
Does COP30 have a marketing problem?
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
David Robbins, Co-director of the Institute for Climate and Society gives his take on why the messaging around climate change is not working and expla...
Lily Allen - "This is a work of auto fiction... not gospel"
02 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Broadcaster Afric O'Connell on the "absolutely razor-sharp" new album Lily Allen and the ongoing fallout from the soap opera story behind it.See omnys...
Colm Tóibín - "A good love story for me has snarls"
02 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Colm Tóibín took on the task of exploring what makes a good love story. Drawing on the works of Nina Simone, Derek Mahon, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, an...
The Watchlist
02 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Lloyd, Freelance entertainment journalist and broadcaster, and Sarina Bellisimo, Broadcaster and entertainment journalist review the best of thi...
Newspaper Panel
02 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to analyse the Sunday papers are; Gerard Howlin, Public Affairs consultant and Irish Times columnist; Scott Lucas, Professor of US and...
Manchán Mangan's month's mind - "There's hundreds gathered here to remember him"
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Producer/director and colleague and friend of Manchán Mangan, Brian Reddin, spoke to Brendan en route to the Hill of Uisneach today for a celebration...
What fishing teaches you about living well and embracing nature
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Prof Ronán Collins talks about his life in fishing, from early days line-fishing as a boy in Kinsale, to embracing the wilderness of far-flung region...
Jeremy Irons - "It was only after boarding school I really started to connect with my emotions"
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor Jeremy Irons joined Brendan to talk about his new film, 'Palestine 36'. He also reflected on his boarding school years, choosing his acting role...
High blood pressure, the silent killer
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
High blood pressure is known as the silent killer. GP, Dr Brendan O'Shea explains why it's important to monitor your blood pressure and what steps you...
Clodagh McKenna "My mother would Irish dance with us in the lift!"
01 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Clodagh McKenna joined Brendan to talk about her new cookbook 'Clodagh's Happy Cooking'. She also talked about her childhood in Cork, getting happines...
The Watchlist
26 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Radio and TV producer Eoin Sweeney and writer Henrietta McKervey join Brendan to review the best of this week’s TV and cinema, including Nobody Want...
Newspaper Panel
26 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to analyse the Sunday newspapers and Catherine Connolly’s election are Irish Times’ political editor, Pat Leahy; former Fine Gael ...
“Younger people are grasping for authenticity” - Mark Little
26 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Little – entrepreneur and journalist – casts his eye over the recent Presidential election campaign to see what it might tell us about politi...
“I picked his brain” - Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben
26 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon and best-selling author Harlan Coben talk to Brendan about their joint novel – a thriller about an army surgeon who...
“I’m tickled pink!” - Mary Coughlan on Catherine Connolly’s win
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Connolly campaign mobilised artists and musicians to the cause over the summer. One of whom was her childhood friend from Shantalla, musician Mary...
“A committed, long-term relationship with pain” - David Gillick
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former Irish Olympian and European indoor gold medalist, David Gillick talks to Brendan about the excitement, heartbreak and anxiety of competing in t...
“It’s President Connolly!” - Presidential Election Results Panel
25 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the full tallies began to land, Brendan was joined by Sinn Féin TD, Claire Kerrane; Fine Gael Minister of State, Emer Higgins; Communications Cons...
Is Halloween the new Christmas for Gen Z?
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Podcaster and Broadcaster, Fionnuala Jones tells Brendan where the Gen Z obsession with Halloween comes from, the top costume trends for 2025 from the...
The Watchlist
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times Arts Journalist, Nadine O’Regan and Dave O’Callaghan, host of the Here and Back Again Podcast talk Brendan through the hits and misses...
Bressie - "It seems my bogger accent transmits at a calming frequency”
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Musician and podcaster Niall Breslin AKA Bressie has taken a new direction with his new album of piano compositions, ‘The Place That Has Never Been ...
The Newspaper Panel
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to talk through the Sunday newspapers are Lisa Chambers, Director of Public Affairs at Consello and former Fianna Fáil TD and Senator...
Elizabeth Day “So much of class is unspoken but codified”
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth Day, presenter of the ‘How To Fail’ podcast has written a new novel, ‘One Of Us’. She talks about growing up in Northern Ireland, na...
Not just for baked beans – are you making the most of your microwave?
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Examiner Food columnist, Catriona Redmond tells Brendan why we’re not making the most of our microwaves! She gives Brendan recipes for a micro...
“I need to find myself an older person now to get on their bus pass!”
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The Free Travel Scheme has just been extended with the launch of the Over 70s’ Free Companion pass and also a new free Leap card for the under-9s so...
Royal Expert, Jennie Bond on Prince Andrew losing his royal titles
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jennie Bond, former BBC Royal Correspondent joins Brendan as Prince Andrew announces that he will give up his royal titles after discussing the matter...
“We are not really individuals; we live within so many webs of connection” - Dr. Trudy Meehan on grieving suicide
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Trudy Meehan, Lecturer and researcher in positive psychology at the RCSI talks to Brendan about navigating the suicide of her ex- partner and how ...
“There is no usual victim of a scam; intelligence or wealth don't matter”
18 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times Crime and Security Correspondent, Conor Gallagher talks to Brendan about how modern-day financial scams work; the skill of the people maki...
The Watchlist
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Director of the Dublin International Film Festival, Grainne Humphries, and host of the "Xtravision" podcast Andy McCarroll, discuss the best TV and fi...
“If you’re meditating well, you’re not meditating” - Michael Harding
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Michael Harding joins Brendan to discuss death, mental health and the natural world – all themes in his latest novel ‘Midwinter’.See omny...
“Like the Kardashians on an album” - the intergenerational appeal of Fleetwood Mac
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cork singer-songwriter Lyra explains why – over 50 years after they formed - Fleetwood Mac are enjoying a resurgence with younger listeners.See omny...
The Newspaper Panel
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to talk through highlights from the Sunday newspapers is political editor with The Irish Independent, Mary Regan; Irish Times columnis...
“Men, we will not eat you!” Róisín and Ann Ingle
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a wide-ranging conversation filled with laughter, agony (or ecstasy) aunts, mother and daughter, Ann and Róisín Ingle, join Brendan to discuss ag...
“I remember jumping up and down like a spoilt child” Andy Farrell
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland and Lions Men’s Rugby Coach Andy Farrell tells Brendan about becoming a teenage father, his own playing career and his evolution to coaching...
‘America's Favourite Poet’
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Former US Poet Laureate, Billy Collins – dubbed ‘America’s favourite poet’ – joins Brendan to reflect on his approach to writing and reads t...
Hearty Autumn Pasta Recipes with Catherine Fulvio
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Catherine Fulvio talks Brendan through some of her favourite, hearty pasta dishes for Autumn – and answers the age-old question: does the shape of y...
“We don’t have to like each other...” Colum McCann
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author Colum McCann, who has worked closely with two grieving fathers, on either side of the Israeli/Palestinian divide, speaks to Brendan about this ...
What is Melatonin?
11 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Consultant Endocrinologist Professor Mary Ryan tells Brendan about melatonin: what helps the body to produce it naturally, what impact it has, and the...
The Watchlist
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Doherty, RTE Guide Movies Editor and Arts journalist Zara Hedderman join Brendan to preview the film and TV highlights of the week.See omnystu...
As Taylor Swift’s frenemies decode her latest album for shade – music journalist Jenn Gannon gives us her view.
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll know that Taylor Swift’s new album The Life of a Showgirl was released on Friday. As Swift is fam...
“I slept on a Cambodian pool table for a month” - Baz Ashmawy
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor and broadcaster Baz Ashmawy joined Brendan to talk about first discovering funk and disco in Cairo, backpacking, the return of his TV shows ‘T...
The Newspaper Panel
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to discuss the Sunday papers are Dr. Laura Bambrick, Social Policy Officer, ICTU; Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at the University of Ga...
A soda bread masterclass with Darina Allen
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chef, writer and co-founder of Ballymalloe Cookery School gives Brendan a lesson in making traditional Irish soda bread, which she claims is baked fro...
Remembering Manchán Magan: “He didn’t fear death, like the rest of us”
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Just three weeks after Manchán Magan’s remarkable final interview with Brendan, two of Manchán Magan’s friends, Blindboy and Liam Ó Maonlaí, p...
“Swedes are like Dubs: they have notions!”
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Scandanavia is an increasingly popular holiday destination, but its different countries sometimes merge into one in our imagination. So Stockholm-base...
Manchán Magan's final interview
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author and Broadcaster Manchán Magan joined Brendan to open-up about his widespread cancer, his disdain for pity, drinking his own urine in the Himal...
“Break ups? They’re bloody hard!” - Richard Hogan
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is there such a thing as a ‘good‘ separation? What are the right words to use when breaking-up? How can we move on afterwards? What should – and...
Caring for your eyes as you age with Opthalmic surgeon, Kirk Stephenson
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Do discount shop reading glasses harm your eyes? Does staring at screens really harm our eyesight? If you need glasses to eat a meal, is something wro...
"I filmed my mother, drunk and asleep on a public bench” - Myrid Carten, filmmaker
04 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Donegal-born visual artist Myrid Carten has made her first feature-length film, ‘A Want In Her’, chronicling her mother Nuala’s mental illness a...
“When you hit rock bottom... there is only one way up” Una Leonard
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Baker, Author and Founder of 2210 Patisserie, Una Leonard talks to Dearbhail about how her own history of disordered eating and her mother’s cancer ...
Does a million-year-old skull change our understanding of evolution?
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Ruth Freeman, Director at Research Ireland tells Dearbhail about how the discovery of a million-year-old skull in China has upended our understandi...
The Watchlist
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times Film Critic, Donald Clarke, and host of The Bellissimo Files podcast, Sarina Bellissimo, join Dearbhail to preview film and TV highlights ...
The Newspaper Panel
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Dearbhail to discuss the Sunday papers are: Kevin Doyle, Group Head of News at Mediahuis Ireland; Lucinda Creighton, Founder and CEO of Vulcan...
Zlata Filipovic - From war to MTV to 30 years in Ireland
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Writer and filmmaker, Zlata Filipovic, shot to international fame when her childhood diary, during the Bosnian War saw her dubbed ‘The Anne Frank of...
“There's no one way to build a house in Ireland” - Harrison Gardner
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Broadcaster and self-build enthusiast, Harrison Gardner chatted to Dearbhail about the construction jobs most of us can do ourselves, from pouring con...
Are competitive people born or made? Performance coach Enda McNulty gives his verdict
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Traitors comes to an end and the presidential election heats up, performance coach Enda McNulty talks to Dearbhail about what makes a competitive p...
“My life stopped, his didn’t”- Blathnaid Raleigh, rape survivor
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Activist and survivor of rape, Blathnaid Raleigh joins Dearbhail to talk about her new memoir Aftermath. She talks about how she coped in the years fo...