Brendan O'Connor

Ornithologist, Seán Ronayne chats to Brendan about his debut book ‘Nature Boy’, how a near-death experience changed his outlook, his autism diagnosis, and why he has poured his heart and soul into his mission of re-connecting people with nature. Seán is @irishwildlifesounds on Instagram

Keith Duggan, Irish Times Washington Correspondent talks to Brendan about meeting ordinary Americans, outside the media bubble, ahead of their presidential election next month, and what will determine who will get their votes.

Joining Brendan to discuss the stories of the week were Bobby McDonagh Former Ambassador to the UK and the EU, Sarah McGuinness, Political Correspondent with the Irish Daily Mail, Prof. Gary Murphy, Professor of Politics at DCU and Keire Murphy, Senior Policy Officer ESRI.

Stephen Fry spoke to Brendan about a recent fall that broke his leg, pelvis, hip, and ribs; about Greek mythology; his mental health; and a recent documentary about the psychological scars of the war in Ukraine. His book, Odyssey, is published by Michael Joseph, and his documentary “Stephen Fry into Ukraine” can be found on YouTube.

With the Menendez brothers back in the public consciousness due to two high-profile Netflix productions and a flurry of social media interest, what part could all this attention play in perhaps getting their sentence reassessed? Host of the No Encore podcast Dave Hanratty joins Brendan to talk through the case and its wider cultural impact.

Grainne Humphreys, Director of the Dublin International Film Festival and RTÉ Guide Movie Editor, Michael Doherty join Brendan to give their movie and TV recommendations for the week ahead

Elon Musk on Thursday unveiled Tesla’s VERY long-awaited robotaxi, the Cybercab, in California. He also introduced us to humanoid robots, Optimus. Elaine Burke, host of the For Tech’s Sake podcast, talked us through what we learned, and what it was like last month when she tried out a competitor robotaxi, the Waygo, in San Francisco.

Actor and screenwriter Clare Dunne talks to Brendan about the importance of family, about self-belief and taking chances in her early career. Clare shares five songs that have shaped her world, from the influence of Sinead O’Connor to the positive power of the Blues Brothers.

Rugby legend, Johnny Sexton, talks to Brendan about his childhood, his intense personality, the famous rivalry with Ronan O’Gara, worries about concussion, his family, and dealing with stress. His autobiography, Obsessed, is published by Penguin Sandycove.

Is it possible to turn things around, when you’re in the middle of a bad day? Psychiatrist Prof. Brendan Kelly shares some tips, including getting outdoors, [time-limited] venting, exercise, dark chocolate, as well as music – specifically Dancing Queen, Good Vibrations, and Eye of the Tiger.