Highlights From Moncrieff

You may be aware that the Taoiseach was on a state visit to Japan last week.What you may not know is that Japan has something of a thriving community of traditional Irish musicians, who are indigenous Japanese, with no ancestral ties to Ireland.Rieko Yamashita is the Chair of Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Éireann Japan, and joins Seán to discuss.Image: John John Festival

What can philosophy teach us? And just how can applying philosophical logic help when assessing major news stories and global conflict?Co-Founder of Hear Listen, a community based philosophy project, Dr Robert Grant joins Seán to discuss.

Nora O’Connor has been the Postmistress in Ballyduff in Kerry since 1984, after her family ran the post office there since the 1860s when the Penny Black was first introduced. This month, the doors have finally been closed for the last time.Nora joins Seán to discuss.Image: Google Maps

Whether it's been tucked away and forgotten about, or left to you through inheritance - the humble attic could be containing treasures right above your noses!Joining Seán to discuss is Sara Kenny, owner of Sara Kenny Fine Art.

Does the price of barbecue food go up when the weather is good? And should you be stocking up on certain household items at particular times of year?With the cost of groceries continuing to go up, people are feeling the pinch now more than ever.Consumer Columnist with the Irish Examiner, Caitriona Redmond, joins Seán to discuss.

While over a million Irish people emigrated to the UK during the 20th century, the narrative over these people’s experiences varies, with the mythology surrounding the ‘No blacks, no dogs, no Irish’ signs often contributing to the way we perceive this great migration. But, is there any evidence that these signs actually ever existed?Joining Seán to discuss is Journalist Michael Murphy, who has been writing about this for the Daily Telegraph…

Getting an ingrown toenail during the summer can be a real pain, if you want to be in sandals and flip flops during the good weather. So, how do you prevent one, and what can be done if it's too late?Joining Seán to discuss is Podiatrist Niall Donaghue, from the Cure Spa Clinic in Dublin, who has all the grisly details…

Last week saw Ireland's long-awaited Defamation Bill passed in both the Dáil and the Seanad.However, not everyone is satisfied that the bill is sufficient to prevent so-called SLAPP cases and therefore to protect free speech.Jessica Ní Mhainín is Head of Policy and Campaigns at Index on Censorship. She joins Seán to discuss.

Every so often you’ll spot those headlines about derelict homes going for one euro in Italy, and you might ask yourself if the dream matches the reality. However, some people who do the scheme end up spending far more money, so what does life in rural Italy really look like?Stephanie Woods Barry, who runs a travel instagram @stephmylife bought in Abruzzo with her husband, and she joins Seán to discuss her experience.

In an upcoming talk at the Sugar Club in Dublin on August 20th, Dr Shane Cassidy, a Music Therapist and Director of Neurolinks, will discuss how music can be used to help people with neurological conditions. But, what exactly is the link between the brain and music?Dr Cassidy joins Seán to discuss.

1,500 illegally traded tarantulas were recently seized by officials in Cologne Bonn airport. But, how dangerous are tarantulas, and are they still popular as a pet? Joining Seán to discuss is Michel Dugnon, Principal Investigator of the Venom System Lab at the University of Galway…

Is Trump really a madman, or is he simply following in the footsteps of Richard Nixon and acting out the Madman Theory in International diplomacy?Joining Seán to discuss this is Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame, Michael Desch.Image: Reuters

There are calls for the government to follow through on the promises made to ensure marine preservation and the protection of our ocean environments.It is vital for marine life to be protected and for more on this, Seán is joined by Ecologist Pádraic Fogarty...

With cars relying more and more on touchscreen technology, is there a growing safety concern, and is it time to return to good old-fashioned buttons?Joining Seán to discuss is Ger Herbert, Motoring Editor and Columnist with the Sunday Independent…

While you might be scared of spiders yourself, you probably don’t want to pass this fear onto your kids, so how do you manage the transfer of phobias?Joining Seán to discuss is Rebecca Quinn, Principal Psychologist at the Tree House Practice in Dublin…

When Seán’s guest moved into his flat in the middle of Temple Bar in 1996, this historic and recently regenerated part of Dublin was a bohemian and cultural mecca. Frank MacDonald has been writing in the Irish Times about how it transformed into a very different beast over the decades, forcing him to sell up and move out of the city altogether.He joins to discuss…

What age are we at our happiest, and does it surprise you that happiness can dip in your mid-forties, especially in women?Newstalk’s Henry McKean has been happily investigating, and joins Seán to discuss.

With most countries’ highest recorded temperatures having occurred in the 21st century, Ireland is very unusual. Ours occurred in the 19th century, a record that still stands 140 years later.Joining Seán to discuss is John O’Sullivan, from the Climate Services Division of Met Éireann...

Almost anyone who grew up in Ireland will have encountered the poetry of WB Yeats at some point in their education. His brother, Jack B Yeats, was an acclaimed painter who took home Ireland’s first ever Olympic medal, winning the silver for art in 1924.But, they weren’t the only siblings in the Yeats family, nor were they the only Yeats children to be highly acclaimed.Lyndsey McDougall is a Singer with New Pagans and Art History lecturer at Ulster University. She joins to discuss.Image: Trinity College Dublin

Filmmaker and Writer Neil Jordan joins Sean ahead of his appearance at the West Cork Literary Festival to talk about his career, memoir, and the ever-changing film industry.Neil Jordan is in conversation on Monday July 14th at 8.30pm in The Maritime Hotel in Bantry. For tickets and more information go to www.westcorkmusic.ie/literary-festival/.