Episodes

  • The Newspaper Panel

    The Newspaper Panel
    Feb 8 2026
    Joining Brendan to talk through the Sunday Newspapers are Mick Clifford, Irish Examiner Special Correspondent; Mary Hanafin, barrister and former Fianna Fáil government minister; Jennifer Bray, Sunday Times Political Editor; and Graham Finlay. Assistant Professor of Politics and International Relations, UCD.

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    55 mins
  • “The first 2 years of my life were a gap – where was I for those years?” - Paul Cullen

    “The first 2 years of my life were a gap – where was I for those years?” - Paul Cullen
    Feb 8 2026
    Former Irish Times journalist Paul Cullen is adopted and has written a memoir, ‘Outsider’, about meeting his birth mother, finding his birth father through DNA and only recently being able to piece together his first two and a half years of foster care using old records.

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    27 mins
  • The Watchlist

    The Watchlist
    Feb 8 2026
    Brendan previews the best TV shows and films coming to a screen near you with Michael Doherty, RTÉ Guide Movies Editor and Fionnuala Jones, Podcaster and Presenter.

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    12 mins
  • Old songs having TikTok revivals

    Old songs having TikTok revivals
    Feb 8 2026
    Broadcaster Aifric O’Connell explains why certain older songs such as New Radicals’ ‘Get What You Give’, Aphex Twin’s ‘QKThr’ and Enya’s ‘Orinoco Flow’ are resonating with Gen Z and Gen Alpha and having a renaissance on TikTok.

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    10 mins
  • Mairéad McGuinness: “It was either my health or the race”

    Mairéad McGuinness: “It was either my health or the race”
    Feb 7 2026
    Six months after she dramatically quit the race for the Irish Presidency, former EU Commissioner and Fine Gael MEP, Mairéad McGuinness, tells Brendan about the severe post viral syndrome that forced her to withdraw. She also opens up about bereavement, menopause, and gave analysis of global political events.

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    40 mins
  • Pat McCabe “Joy is the most beautiful emotion, it can come upon you unexpectedly”

    Pat McCabe “Joy is the most beautiful emotion, it can come upon you unexpectedly”
    Feb 7 2026
    ‘The Butcher Boy’ author, Pat McCabe, has just been announced as the 2026 IPUT Writer-in-Residence. He talks Brendan through his early Monaghan days, his writing career and the joy of being a grandfather through the prism of five songs from Brian Coll to Skid Row to Gilbert O’Sullivan.

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    32 mins
  • “‘Memento Mori’ reminds us to live”

    “‘Memento Mori’ reminds us to live”
    Feb 7 2026
    Neuroscientist Brian Pennie once had a near death experience as a heroin addict. He now has a countdown calendar in his kitchen where he marks off the weeks he has left on this earth. He explains why reflecting on the motto, ‘Memento Mori’/’Remember That You Will Die’ helps you live life more intentionally.

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    8 mins