Discover
Brendan O'Connor
Brendan O'Connor
Author: RTÉ Radio 1
Subscribed: 9,555Played: 741,617Subscribe
Share
© 2025 RTÉ Radio 1
Description
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.
431 Episodes
Reverse
Joining Brendan to dissect the stories making the headlines today, were Mary Regan, Political editor with The Irish Independent; David W. Higgins, Economist; Youth Advocate Natasha Maimba; and Brigid Laffan, Emeritus Professor at the European University Institute.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Psychologist and writer Tony Bates and his old pal Denis Cagney join Brendan to talk about reconnecting more than 50 years after first striking up a conversation at school. Denis and Tony share the wisdom that comes with age and their life experience. They talk about what their friendship means now, and Denis shares the reality of living with MND.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Entertainment journalist, Sarina Bellisimo and TV and radio producer Eoin Sweeney cast a discerning eye over the TV shows and movies that are worth a watch this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the eve of the second anniversary of the death of her husband, Shane McGowan, writer Victoria Mary Clarke talks about grief, ice baths and breath work. She also chose five songs that chart her life, from ‘Haunted’ by Shane & Sinead O’Connor to Bob Dylan, Kneecap and Van Morrison.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch tells Brendan about his activism, the waste created in the making of a movie, why toxic masculinity needs to constantly be called out, how becoming a father affected his acting and how his own grief surfaced when playing a grief-stricken husband and father in his latest film, ‘The Thing With Feathers’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Café owner and chef Maggie Roche brings Brendan the best and tastiest toasted sandwiches for all moods and taste buds. She talks Brendan through an epic Christmas toastie recipe, how to pimp up the classic ham and cheese and makes a case for a nutella toastie!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
There are 12,000 lakes in Ireland. Pól O’Conghaile, Travel Editor of Independent.ie talks about the tourism amenities added to many Irish lakes over the years and which are the most beautiful ones to visit.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As President Zelensky’s chief of staff resigns following an anti-corruption scandal, Christopher Miller, Ukraine Correspondent with the Financial Times talks to Brendan about how this crisis will impact the ongoing peace plan, but also the consequences for the country, its government and its people.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Occupational psychologist and shaman, Leisha Redmond McGrath talks to Brendan about the small changes you can make to create a better day at work, how to make better connections with people to and how to bring joy to your workday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Donald Trump’s MAGA movement is embroiled in internal disputes over the status of white nationalist, Nick Fuentes, and the surprise resignation of Georgia Congresswoman, Marjorie Taylor-Green. Publisher of TheBriefing.ie - Liz Carolan - tells Brendan about the faultlines now emerging in the American right, over Israel, isolationism and Jeffrey Epstein.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Joining Brendan to discuss the Sunday papers are Pat Leahy, Political Editor of the Irish Times; novelist, Catherine Prasifka; Brenda Power, Columnist with the Irish Daily Mail and Sunday Times; and Larry Donnelly, Law Lecturer at the University of Galway.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Arts journalist, Zara Hedderman and Entertainment Editor at the RTE Guide, Michael Doherty tell Brendan about the TV and Cinema highlights of the week to come, including ‘Wicked: For Good’, ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘DJ Carey: The Dodger’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Homeless campaigner, and founder of The Alice Leahy Trust, Alice Leahy, tells Brendan about her vocation, her late husband Charlie, and how she nearly became a vet and now reminds people several times a day that she is not a nun. Marking the publication of her new book ‘Outsiders’ she chooses five songs that form the soundtrack to her life, including Ralph McTell’s ‘Streets of London’, ‘The Parting Glass’ and ‘I Dreamt I Dwelt In Marble Halls’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Caryna Camerino, owner of Dublin’s Camerino Bakery, tells Brendan about some American desserts, for anyone hoping to mark the American holiday this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Actor and screenwriter Stephanie Preissner joins Brendan for the first of a two-part series on gift-buying this festive season. This week Stephanie offers her top tips on buying for the men in your life. Tips included VOYA products, Closca cycle helmets, and contour whiskey glasses from Current.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kerryman, Oisin Murphy – who recently won the British Flat Jockeys Championship title for the fifth time – tells Brendan about his destructive relationship with alcohol, the constant need to keep his weight down, and why he tested positive for cocaine in France, as detailed in his new book ‘Sacrifice’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Comedy legend John Cleese tells Brendan about Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, the power of laughter, and his reflections on what happens after death. He also explains the impetus behind his book, Fawlty Towers: Fawlts and All, and his new documentary, John Cleese Packs It In.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nadine O'Regan, Irish Times Arts journalist, and Andy McCarroll, Host of the Extra Vison Podcast talk Brendan through the best TV and Cinema this week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"Godfather of AI" Professor Geoffrey Hinton won a Nobel Prize for his early work on machine learning which were the foundations for modern Artificial Intelligence today. He left his role with Google to free him up to talk about his safety concerns around AI. He told Brendan why he thinks AI is now at a point where it can think and understand.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matthew McConnell, Editor of Outsider.ie, tells Brendan everything you need to know about buying an effective raincoat AND maintaining its waterproofingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.





















O connor giving airtime / employment to the usual hacks and government lackies ... how depressing
I wonder does the allocation of €750 million of taxpayers money to biased rte the political wing of fg ff colour their Sunday panel discussions 😂💰#biasedrte
No programme on Bloody Sunday from this prick...
This is excellent. Heard it yesterday on the show and just had another listen. Some great stuff in here.
Plenty of rational, younger people see through Meghan as well as the older generations.