Brendan O'Connor

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 Radio 1.

Episodes

The Watchlist

March 1, 2026 • 12 mins
Joining Brendan to discuss the best TV and films coming this week, are Business Post film critic, John Maguire and Irish Times arts journalist, Nadine O’Regan. Their choices include ‘Vladamir’, ‘DTF St Louis’ and ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’.
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Love is Blind controversy: Body Shaming or Romantic Honesty?

March 1, 2026 • 7 mins
Culture journalist, Zara Hederman joins Brendan to discuss a growing controversy in the latest season of ‘Love is Blind’, a dating show r. After one participant met his fiancée, he told her he was used to dating “who work out all the time”, sparking a furore of commentary about the intersection of physical attraction, misogyny and body shaming.
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Colum McCann “With my brain condition - the medicine altered me more than the pain”

March 1, 2026 • 32 mins
Award winning novelist, Colum McCann joins Brendan to discuss the songs that have formed the soundtrack to his life, including Ray Charles’ ‘Hit the Road, Jack’ and Colm Mac Con Iomaire’s ‘The Minbar of Saladin’. He also tracks his literary childhood, his 9/11 novel and his attempt to emulate Jack Kerouac by cycling across America.
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The Newspaper Panel

March 1, 2026 • 54 mins
Joining Brendan to discuss the Sunday papers, are publisher at TheBriefing.ie, Liz Carolan; research professor at the ESRI, Alan Barrett; Sunday Independent and Irish Daily Mail columnist, Brenda Power; Irish Times Political Editor, Pat Leahy; and professor of US and International Politics at UCD’s Clinton Institute, Scott Lucas.
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Quick and tasty homemade dips with chef, Alannah Sheehan

February 28, 2026 • 7 mins
From salsa to tzatziki, and hummus to pesto, Chef Alannah Sheehan gives Brendan a how-to guide to making dips that are quick, simple and super tasty.
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A dietician’s definitive guide to protein

February 28, 2026 • 9 mins
Dietician Sarah Keogh joins Brendan to discuss how much protein we really need, and the impact of eating too much or too little and gives her verdict on protein powders and bars.
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Róisín and Ann Ingle on steady eddies, what makes a good sex scene and why we need to talk about death

February 28, 2026 • 29 mins
Writer Ann Ingle, and her daughter, Irish Times journalist and Co-host of the Women’s Podcast, Róisín Ingle join Brendan to discuss the changing nature of sex, the cultural highs and lows of their year, and how our parents’ choice of partner impacts our own.
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“De-escalation is out of the question” Middle East Update

February 28, 2026 • 9 mins
Following joint US/Israeli strikes on Iran overnight, Iranian-American journalist Borzou Daragahi joins Brendan with the latest updates, as the impact of the attacks becomes clear and the Iranian leadership vows retaliation.
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Colin Farrell - “I have enormous feeling around Emma, love for her, anger for her EB, sorrow for things EB has taken from her”

February 28, 2026 • 36 mins
Actor Colin Farrell and campaigner Emma Fogarty join Brendan to discuss their deep friendship, their campaigning work on EB (known as ‘butterfly skin’) and their new documentary ‘The Slightest Touch’ which premieres at the Dublin International Film Festival this weekend.
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The Watchlist

February 22, 2026 • 12 mins
Brendan gets the lowdown on the best films and TV shows this week with Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster/Podcaster and Dave O’Callaghan, Host of the Here and Back Again Podcast.
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How AI is changing the face of filmmaking and content creation

February 22, 2026 • 9 mins
Elaine Burke, host of the ‘For Tech Sake’ podcast talks to Brendan about the impact of AI on Hollywood; from this week’s viral video which showed AI versions of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in a fight scene to how AI is being used day to day in filmmaking and content creation.
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Prof Luke O’Neill - How to get through ‘Sniper’s Alley’ and optimise your health in midlife

February 22, 2026 • 25 mins
Luke O’Neill, Professor of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College, talks to Brendan about ‘Sniper’s Alley’ - the period of time around your fifties when you start becoming more susceptible to negative health events. He explains how to bulletproof yourself before you enter Sniper's Alley and has general tips for better health for us all.
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The Newspaper Panel

February 22, 2026 • 54 mins
Joining Brendan to discuss the Sunday newspapers are Adam Harris, Founder and CEO of AsIAm; Brigid Laffan, Emeritus Professor at the European University Institute; Harry McGee, Political Correspondent with the Irish Times and Hazel Chu, Dublin City Councillor and Green Party Deputy Leader.
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The only muffin recipes you’ll ever need with Caryna Camerino

February 21, 2026 • 8 mins
Caryna Camerino from The Camerino bakery gives Brendan her all-time favourite muffin recipes. She’s got a savoury muffin and a crowd pleasing classic with her blueberry muffin recipe, and she tells Brendan how to create the prefect muffin top crunch!
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Do you know your smishing from your vishing? - The top scams to watch out for right now

February 21, 2026 • 8 mins
Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope talks Brendan through the most common scams doing the rounds right now and how we can all protect ourselves from fraudsters.
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David Gray “My Dad pulled out his chemo tubes and came and cheered Bowie up”

February 21, 2026 • 28 mins
David Gray’s White Ladder album remains the biggest selling album in Ireland, ever. He talks to Brendan about that time through the prism of five songs ranging from Madness to David Bowie to John McCormack.
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Dads at the cutting edge - the half zip jumper is now fashion!

February 21, 2026 • 12 mins
Life coach and personal shopper Cathy O’ Connor tells Brendan about the new stars of your wardrobe for spring, including the quarter zip jumper, and balloon jeans, and why regardless of what’s on the catwalk, you never need to stop wearing clothes you love.
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Jacqui Hurley previews Ireland v England in Twickenham

February 21, 2026 • 5 mins
Jacqui brings her characteristic optimism to bear on her analysis of today’s high stakes clash between Ireland and England. She says Irish fans are hopeful going into today’s game despite the decline the team has experienced in recent times.
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Dr. Mike Ryan: “My mother took me by the two hands and said ‘don’t you die over there'”

February 21, 2026 • 32 mins
Dr Mike Ryan, former Deputy Director General of the World Health Organization tells Brendan about heading up the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme during Covid, receiving death threats, his views on the anti-science movement, being held hostage, his anger over Gaza and why he’s now taking some time out.
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The Watchlist

February 15, 2026 • 12 mins
Joining Brendan to preview the best films and TV shows this week - including Swindlers, Crime 101 and Eternity - are Director of the Dublin International Film Festival, Grainne Humphries; and host of the Extra Vision podcast, Andy McCarroll.
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