Brendan O'Connor
Episodes
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...
Your guide to vaccine season
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As flu season rolls around, do you still need to get a Covid booster? Does the shingles vaccine have an impact on dementia? And how does disinformatio...
How to batch cook your way to a stress-free week with chef Alannah Sheehan
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chef Alannah Sheehan joins Dearbhail to give us all the tasty tips on how to batch cook delicious dinners without sacrificing your Sunday to the kitch...
Newspaper Panel
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to discuss the Sunday papers are: Siobhán Fenton, writer and former deputy head of press for Sinn Féin; Dan O'Brien, Chief Economist...
The Watchlist
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Film critic for the business post John Maguire, and writer Henrietta McKervey, join Brendan to talk through the week's best films and TV showsSee omny...
"An Cailín Ciúin made me a legitimate actor" - Carrie Crowley
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actor and broadcaster Carrie Crowley joins Brendan to talk about her career, playing Mammy Walsh in the upcoming RTÉ TV series 'The Walsh Sisters', h...
"A pompous but likable buffoon" - Alan Partridge profiled
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A beloved figure will return to our screens: Alan Partridge - sports anchor, turned chat show host, turned radio DJ, turned stand-in BBC presenter. He...
Bob Geldof "I probably WOULD have run for Fianna Fáil as President"
20 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Boomtown Rats frontman Bob Geldof on 50 years of the Rats, why the Ireland of his youth was a 'Banana Republic', moving to London, observing social ch...
Brenda Fricker at 80: "I can't remember not wanting to die."
20 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Academy award winner, Brenda Fricker, invited Brendan into her home to talk about the events that have shaped her life. Her memoir is called 'She Died...
How to Calm Down
20 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Neuroscientist Brian Pennie has practical tips on how to calm yourself in the moment when the red mist descends.See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...
The Watchlist
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times Arts Journalist, Nadine O’Regan and host of the Screenland Podcast, Brian Lloyd join Brendan to talk through the week’s best films and...
Anti-depressant poems for darker days
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With the evenings drawing in, poet Enda Wyley chose uplifting poems to read. Nourishing poems of Soul and Light and The Poetry Pharmacy Returns, ‘Th...
“Inclusive classrooms make all kids cleverer, more empathetic and happier” - Jamie Oliver on dyslexia
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Having turned 50 in May, Jamie Oliver is in a reflective mood when he speaks to Brendan. He talks about his dyslexia, and shares health hacks on getti...
The Newspaper Panel
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to discuss the Sunday papers are Pat Leahy, Political Editor of the Irish Times, Elaine Burke, Science and Technology journalist, Scot...
“I have no fear of death” - Manchán Magan
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author and Broadcaster Manchán Magan joins Brendan to open-up about his widespread cancer, his disdain for pity, drinking his own urine in the Himala...
Ciara O’Brien: Charlie Kirk’s Shooting and Disturbing Online Video
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Following the assassination of American conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, many social media users were unwittingly exposed to graphic videos of his...
Leo Varadkar: "If I hadn't gone into politics, I'd be an angry man on Twitter"
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As he publishes his memoir ‘Speaking My Mind’ former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, joins Brendan in studio to talk about his personal and political lif...
"There are dead skin cells everywhere, and dust mites loves them!”
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Autumn is here, and so are our friends, the dust mites! But what are they, where do they live, and what can we do to avoid them? Christine Loscher, Pr...
Gráinne Mullins: The Joy of Chocolate
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pastry Chef and CEO of Grá Chocolates, Gráinne Mullins talks Brendan through her favourite chocolate recipes, and why it’s such an appealing and v...
The Watchlist
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Senita Appiakarong, Culture Commentator and Eoin Sweeney, TV and Radio Producer give Brendan their recommendations for the best TV and films to watch ...
“Dance with the Season Change!”
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dr Mark Rowe, GP and author of “Things your future self will thank you for” has ten ways to navigate the change in season such as avoiding ‘indo...
‘Touching grass’, Gen-Z's fight back against big tech
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Tech entrepreneur and journalist, Mark Little, discusses the challenges Gen-Z are facing and – importantly – the resilience they are showing and w...
The Newspaper Panel
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Brendan to discuss the Sunday papers are Prof Niamh Hourigan, Vice-President of Academic Affairs at Mary Immaculate College; Jack Horgan Jones...