Brendan O'Connor
Channel Details
Brendan O'Connor
Brendan O'Connor has all you need for the weekend with time to pause and reflect on the week just gone. Featuring a selection of human interest, consumer and lifestyle stories, as well as keeping you up to date on the news stories that matter. Listen live Saturday and Sunday at 11am - 1pm on RTÉ Rad...
Recent Episodes
559 episodes
The Newspaper panel
Joining Brendan to discuss the top stories in Sunday’s newspapers are: publisher of The Briefing.ie, Liz Carolan; independent economist, David W Higgi...
“How did I go from playing for Ireland to a prison cell?”
Former Irish and Ulster rugby player, Ryan Caldwell, tells Brendan about his descent, from playing professional rugby into drug addiction and prison....
A rare clip of Dolly Parton singing with her family
Following the death of Dolly Parton, we reflect on her Appalachian roots and musical heritage, heavily influenced by songs brought to the region by Ir...
The Watchlist
Joining Brendan to preview some of the best films and TV shows available this week are author, Henrietta McKervey and host of the “Here and Back Again...
Garron Noone - “I couldn’t leave the house, so they sent me to the priest!”
Comedian and musician Garron Noone joins Brendan to discuss his debut album, his talent for reviewing ‘delicious’ cups of tea, and the crippling agora...
Is your routine bad for you?
Chartered Work and Coaching Psychologist, Leisha Redmond McGrath tells Brendan about the benefits, and costs, of having routine. She discusses how gau...
Paul Howard on Irish unity - “A new capital in the bellybutton of Ireland”
Author and creator of Ross O’Carroll Kelly, Paul Howard, joins Brendan to discuss his play in the Edinburgh Fringe, his biography of Sean Hughes and h...
A dermatologist's guide to the only skincare you really need
Professor Caitriona Ryan, Consultant Dermatologist at The Institute of Dermatologists lists the products that we should be using daily on our skin – f...
Simple quick midweek pastas with Eunice Power
Eunice Power, Chef and owner of the gourmet takeaway 'And Chips' in Dungarvan joins Brendan to discuss the delights of butter, and how to get the most...
The Newspaper Panel
Joining Brendan to discuss the top stories in Sunday’s newspapers are: James Leonard, Community Worker, criminologist and one half of the Two Norries;...
Jon Ronson - “When men try out vulnerability, women sometimes recoil in horror”
Jon Ronson, author and podcaster, joins Brendan to talk about his new book ‘The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unravelling Men’ which explores the m...
"A white Cadillac pulls up beside Tupac and opens fire"
TupacThe trial opened this week in Las Vegas of Duane "Keffe D" Davis – in connection with the fatal shooting thirty years ago of legedary rapper, Tup...
The Watchlist
Joining Brendan to pick the best shows and films available this week are Nadine O’Regan, Arts and Features writer with the Irish Times and Brian Lloyd...
“Washing Up” - a poem by Derek Mahon
Brendan played a recording of actor Stephen Rea reciting the Derek Mahon poem, Washing Up. The recording was originally broadcast as part of the RTÉ T...
Dr Richard Hogan on work: “I don’t think anyone on their death bed thinks ‘I should have worked more’”
Psychotherapist Dr Richard Hogan talks to Brendan about work. He talks about the pressure on teens to know what they want to be, how to find the job t...
Seán Ronayne - “Being a new father is like living a magical new life”
Ornithologist and author Seán Ronayne talks about becoming a father, his awe at watching his daughter’s developing love of nature, how his autism info...
Blindboy Boatclub - “Dogs can smell in stereo, they can smell time!”
Podcaster and Author Blindboy BoatClub has had some of his short stories adapted by director Dan Colley into a new Abbey Theatre play, ‘Animals’. He t...
“My head-on joyrider crash left me scared of the dark, driving, everything”
Cork woman Róisín Stakelum suffered a head-on motorway crash in July 2023 when she was driving to Dublin Airport and a car of teenage joyriders were d...
Late Summer Indulgence Recipes!
Chef Maggie Roche tells Brendan about her cafe, The Little Acorn, shutting down tomorrow and about her career ranging from The Merrion Hotel to workin...
The Watchlist
Joining Brendan to pick the best shows and films available this week are host of the Extra Vision Podcast, Andy McCarroll and entertainment journalist...
“I’m not worried about Millennials; I’m worried a fear of cringe is ruling Gen Z lives!”
Podcaster and Presenter, Fionnuala Jones, joins Brendan to discuss the growing obsession with cringe. We are now at the point in our culture where any...
"My big ambition? That my wife is happy" - writer, Richard Ford
Novelist Richard Ford, joins Brendan to discuss the current state of Donald Trump’s America, rediscovering his Irish heritage and the dynamics of his...
Newspaper Panel
Joining Brendan to discuss the top stories in Sunday’s newspapers are: farmer & presenter of Ear to the Ground, Darragh McCullough; Columnist with the...
"If some guy with one eye centre stage Says, I’m Polyphemus pleased to meet you-run like English and Adeleke."
Acclaimed poet Rita Ann Higgins reads a new poem “Odyssey Round the A&E” inspired by her husband Christy’s recent visit to the Emergency Department. <...
Homemade Ice Cream for Dummies with Kevin Dundon
Chef Kevin Dundon joins Brendan to discuss the delights of home-made ice cream. He talks through how to make simple ice-cream at home and tweak it wit...
A Phsyio’s Guide to Improving your Balance
Chartered Physiotherapist, founder of Posture Fitting and former Ireland Rugby International, Siobhan O’Donovan joins Brendan to offer tips on how to...
“He told me ‘word is you’re a flash in the pan’ - that drove me to prove myself” - Phil Coulter
The multi-award winning songwriter behind classics like ‘Ireland’s Call’ and ‘The Town I Loved So Well’, Phil Coulter tells Brendan about his extraord...
From pink cocaine to ultra strong MDMA - a warning on this year’s casual drug trends
The HSE’s National Clinical Lead on Addiction Services, Prof. Eamon Keenan joins Brendan to discuss drug use at festivals emphasising that the best wa...
"With potatoes cooking in the ground - has this summer been a wake-up call on climate change?"
After a summer of unprecedented heatwaves and terrifying wildfires close to home, have people's views on climate change altered? Will these events cha...
Robbie Williams - “I’m taking the weight loss jabs. I didn’t qualify, but I’m a celebrity”
Legendary songwriter and performer, Robbie Williams joins Brendan to discuss imposter syndrome, his experience of weight-loss jabs, the difficulty of...
“Real life horrors are on your phone instantly”
After the hospitalisation of blogger Perez Hilton this week, Dave Hanratty of the No Encore podcast talks to Brendan about Hilton’s rise, the darkness...
The Watchlist
Arts and Music Journalist, Zara Hedderman and Business Post Film critic, John Maguire join Brendan with their film and television recommendations for...
“Jeremy Irons can hold his own at a seisiún ” - Martin Hayes
One of Ireland’s finest musicians, fiddle player, Martin Hayes talks to Brendan about the music that shaped his life, the melancholy of the songs he g...
The Newspaper Panel
Joining Brendan to discuss the top stories in Sunday’s newspapers are: Former Government Press Secretary, Chris Donoghue, Lorna Fitzpatrick, Co-Founde...
The ultimate cheeseburger
Food Historian and columnist with the Financial Times, Tim Hayward chats to Brendan about the simple joy of the cheeseburger, the certain alchemy of c...
“People used tea bags and gravy browning to tan their legs!”
From Coco Chanel introducing tanning as a style statement to the war effort of mimicking nylons with teabags, fake tan has always been in vogue. Beaut...
“I didn’t think Ferris Bueller would last 40 years” - Matthew Broderick
Star of the stage and screen Matthew Broderick talks to Brendan about finding fame in the cultural phenomenon Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, his childhood...
“I think I'll miss being given out to by Brenda Fricker the most!”
Friends of the late Brenda Fricker, Liz Duffy, costume designer Joan Bergin and filmmaker Tadgh O’Sullivan share their memories of the actress. They t...
“Marriage needs conflict” - Prof. Katriona O’Sullivan
Prof. Katriona O’Sullivan joins Brendan to discuss the nuances of marriage, reflecting on the knotty dynamics of a committed relationship, the work of...
The Watchlist
Joining Dearbhail to discuss the best shows and films arriving this week, are producer Eoin Sweeney and Director of the Dublin International Film Fest...