Dave Fanning

This week a family in County Mayo made the headlines after they came across a washed-up rubbish bin on Mulranny Strand., 6000 kilometers away. From shipwrecks, to snowballs, to thousands of rubber ducks, Aifric O'Connell tells us about some of the weird and wonderful things washed up on shores around the world.

This week our Classic Irish Track Uncovered is an Emotional Fish's Celebrate, and Dave was joined by Jerry Fish.

Next Thursday 18th November marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Achtung Baby, U2's 7th studio album. It was a musical shift, incorporating industrial sounds, electronic dance music, distorted guitars and experimental vocals. Dave spoke to music journalist John Meagher, and to Steve Averill, who designed Achtung Baby's album cover.

As news broke last night that Britney Spears was released from her 13 year conservatorship, Dave spoke to Jennifer Otter Bickerdike, the author of a new book on Britney called Being Britney: Pieces of a Modern Icon.

Last week, the Toy Retailers Association published their list of “must-have” toys for Christmas time, which includes classics such as Barbie and LEGO, that have stood the test of time. Chris Byrne AKA, the Toy Guy, an independent toy analyst, told us all about the psychology of what makes a great toy.

Robert L. Harris is a warden of Skellig Michael, best known as the island that featured in Star Wars. Robert has written a memoir, called Returning Light, which is a declaration of love to the place, to the wildlife that populates it, to the elements, and to a different way of life.

"Funny You Should Ask... Again" is the latest book released by the QI Elves, with answers to the most random questions, such as "what are hiccups for" or "what's the longest anyone has ever left the light on for".

Dave speaks to Damien Dempsey and to director Ross Killeen about "Love Yourself Today", a new documentary about the Dublin singer songwriter and the impact of his music on fans.

Dave found out all about medical breakthrough procedures including organ transplants from animals to humans, with Dr Tyler Rouse of the podcast Legends of Surgery.

Musician Daithi speaks to Dave about the making of his classic song Mary Keane's Introduction, which features the voice of his grandmother.