Highlights From Lunchtime Live

Andrea Gilligan was joined on Lunchtime Live by Dr Niall Breen from Portmarnock GP Clinic to answer listeners' health queries and questions...

Having separate beds from your partner is becoming more and more common apparently. Couples say they sleep better and because of that, are nicer to each other, but can it affect your intimacy?Andrea is joined by Iseult White, Psychotherapist and author, to discuss.

Bruce Springsteen brought the curtain down on the Irish leg of his world tour last night in Dublin, but hundreds of concertgoers missed the start of his 80,000 Croke Park sellout in what's since been branded a “queuing disaster” outside the stadium.Andrea is joined by listeners who were at the concert to hear their experiences, including International Golf Broadcaster Shane O’Donoghue.

Have you heard of nicotine pouches? Well if you haven’t, your teenagers are sure to know about them. There have been calls for stricter regulation of nicotine pouches as apparently teenagers, alongside vapes are now using the pouches to get a nicotine hit. Joining Andrea to discuss is Paul Crone, Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals and Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore, who brought this up in the Dáil.

This is Lunchtime Live’s Big Batch. Every Monday we’ll be learning new easy to cook batch recipes from Cook Book Author and Recipe writer Sarah Butler to keep you eating well. No more staring into an open fridge looking for inspiration! This week Andrea and Sarah looked at nibbles that will be perfect for any occasion, from a varied charcuterie board to what to pair with crackers.Follow the hashtag #LLBigBatch for all our recipes.

Employers group Ibec has called on Dublin City Council to pause their implementation of new city centre plans due to be introduced in August.  The new plans aim to remove traffic travelling through the city centre using a number of measures, including closing parts of the quays to cars. Ibec say that there are significant questions about how they will affect access to the city centre and businesses in the capital. Andrea is joined by listeners to hear their takes.

Every Friday, as part of our ‘Ask Me Anything’ series, we put your questions to people from interesting backgrounds or working in different careers.    Andrea Gilligan is joined by Paulo Nunes dos Santos to learn more about what it’s like to be a war photographer.

The Vatican is changing its guidance towards the supernatural. They’ll update things like how to determine if visions of the Virgin Mary are authentic, and how a divine apparition should be confirmed. It’s stepping in amid a boom in claims and concern that these prophecies are spreading online faster than ever before. Joining Andrea to discuss the history of the supernatural religious claims in Ireland is historian Rob Buchanan.

Previously the show covered birth trauma and the experience of women in this country that aren’t being looked after enough. As part of that we heard from a woman named Shannon, who got in touch about her experience.She joins Andrea alongside other listeners to share their stories.

Wendy Burke was just 1 year old when her life changed forever. Wendy and her heavily pregnant mother were on their way home after a hospital appointment, when the Dublin/Monaghan bombs went off, sadly killing Wendy’s mother and her unborn sibling. 50 years on from that day – Wendy joins Andrea on the show.

From crow attacks in Kildare to confusion over roads in Kerry: Breakfast briefing Presenter Shane Beatty has some of the stories from around the country that you may have missed this week.

Many countries around the world require you to pass a test on civic knowledge –  geography, laws, politics, history etc to gain citizenship. There is no such test in Ireland.  Do new Irish citizens need to know more about what it means to be Irish? Andrea is joined by Gina London, Leadership Communications expert and Sunday Independent Columnist as well as listeners to hear their takes.

From following trends to dodgy DIY – what are the worst ‘improvements’ we can make to our houses? Andrea is joined by DIY Expert Alan Grant along with Sarah Louise from Sarah Louise interiors to discuss what to avoid when improving your home.

Are you a culprit of picking the same pin numbers for everything? Apparently '1234' is still the most common PIN… Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent is with Andrea to discuss the best practices for picking a PIN and password.

A recent inquiry in the UK found that good maternity care in Britain was “the exception rather than the rule”. Women in Ireland are now calling for an inquiry into birth trauma to reflect the scale and impact of the crisis. Joining Andrea to discuss is Bairbre Brooke, a Birth Trauma Resolution Practitioner.

Almost a third of us buy travel insurance on the day they fly – which is apparently a big mistake. So, what other travel mishaps are we making? Andrea is joined by travel experts to give their tips and discuss some of the most common mistakes people make.

It's Throwback Thursday, where we look back on things that happened this week in history. 98fm’s Ciaran O’Connor joined Andrea Gilligan to rewind the clock.

The UK health service has found success in getting obese men to lose weight by paying them up to £400. A trial found men were more likely to slim down if motivated by a cash prize from the NHS. Experts hope the scheme would pay for itself through savings on treating weight-related illness further down the line. What do you think?  Andrea is joined by Professor Donal O’Shea, HSE Clinical Lead for Obesity, Paul Byrne, Director of Body Byrne Training and listeners to hear their takes.

From how much to put away to when to start for this week’s Ask the Expert, we’re putting your pension questions to Paul Kenny, Ireland’s former Pensions Ombudsman and Course Leader with the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland.

Weight loss drugs such as Ozempic are apparently being sold on the black market, causing huge concerns amongst the medical community. Pharmacist Kate O’Connell joins Andrea to discuss the drug - and why the illegal sales are an issue.Image: Novo Medlink