Highlights From The Pat Kenny Show

Houses are crumbling due to the presence of pyrite or mica in concrete blocks from certain quarries. The Defective Concrete Block Grant Scheme is meant to help homeowners repair or rebuild, but only 7% of the nearly 2,900 applicants have had their homes fixed since the scheme began in 2020. To discuss this further Pat was joined on the show by Founder of the Clare Pyrite Action Group and a lecturer at the Technological University of the Shannon and grant recipient. 

If you’re exhausted and having trouble getting your child to bed, then you might be desperate for a solution. A simple Google search will turn up hundreds of sleep gimmicks, but how do you know what will actually be effective?  All to chat with our expert this morning Lucy Wolfe sleep consultant and author.

After weeks of political pressure over Donald Trump’s relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein, the US Justice department has released a transcript of an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell. We discuss this and more with Terry Sheridan, Senior Director of News Public Radio and also Greg Swenson, Chair of Republicans Overseas UK and Ireland.  

The weekend was packed full of action, It was a successful opening game for Ireland in the women’s rugby world cup. Co-captain Edel McMahon's return from injury helped with Ireland's impressive 42-14 win against Japan.  As the Premier League continues, Everton fans enjoyed a first win in their brand-new stadium with the help of former man city star Jack Grealish. However, Man United continued with a winless game in a draw against Fulham. Cathal Mullaney, Broadcaster with Off the Ball looks back on the busy weekend of sport.

Many young farmers are feeling forgotten as the IFA and the ICMSA call for the reopening of the long established Young Farmers Scheme. To discuss this with Pat was Dennis Drennan, President of the ICMSA.

Some small primary schools could remain closed from Thursday this week as caretakers and secretaries are set to begin an indefinite strike for parity in public sector pensions and employment conditions. Andy Pike, Head of Education at Fórsa

Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed to “to push Russia to peace” as Kyiv marked its Independence Day yesterday.  Barry Ward, FG TD and Chair of EU Affairs Committee is currently in Kyiv at the invitation of Verhova Rada, the speaker of the parliament, he is due to meet president Zelensky later today. Barry Ward spoke to Pat ahead of this meeting.

Gary Gannon, Social Democrats TD and Spokesperson for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Tabitha Monahan, Political reporter for Irish Independent and Presenter on The Indo Daily Podcast and Neale Richmond, Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora all joined Pat for this week's Friday Forum.

Today over 65,000 students got their Leaving Cert Result. Henry McKean visited St Mary's Girls Secondary School Baldoyle Dublin as students got their results.

Gareth Mullins talks through multi seeds flapjack, banana bread and carrot and walnut cake. A great lunch box fillers just in time for the kids heading back to school.

Molly Martens and her father made international headlines when they beat Molly’s Irish husband Jason Corbett to death in his own home. 'A Deadly Marriage' the true story of Corbett’s killing and the aftermath. It's Author Brian Carroll joined Pat this morning.

The anticipation of receiving your leaving cert results is stressful, and the results themselves can be disappointing, especially if you hold yourself to a high standard.  Adding to the pressure is the fact that grades have been “deflated” post-Covid, which will impact deferrals. We get all the detail and advice from Brian Mooney Guidance counsellor and columnist with The Irish Times.

Dating in your 30s is a brave new world from online and apps, to ghosting and meeting someone in a bar. Never mind those, but maybe you have a kid, a mortgage and any of the other regular pressures of being an adult. All to chat with comedian Stephen Mullan.

The UN-backed agency responsible for monitoring world hunger is today expected to declare a famine in Gaza City. The declaration comes as the Israeli cabinet approves a full offensive on the city. We get the latest on the situation there with Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at London School of Economics.

Bus Eireann have been urged to relax its retirement age limit for drivers to accommodate more children on school buses.  Bus Eireann have mandated that all drivers must retire by 70. Pat discusses this further with Sean Canney, Minister of state with responsibility for international and road transport, logistics, rail and ports.

Labour Party grandee Fergus Finlay asked permission to run for president from the party’s leader Ivana Bacik. Instead, his party has chosen to support Catherine Connolly. It isn’t the first time he’s lost out on the nomination. Fergus spoke to Pat this morning on the show.

Windfarms, microwaves, and electric lights, we hear weird history of technological conspiracy theories. David Robert Grimes author and disinformation expert tells us all.

Apple TV+  American sports comedy TV series Stick starring Owen Wilson as a former professional golfer features in this weeks Boxed with John Fardy. 

“The final tennis Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, is getting underway this week at Flushing Meadows in New York. This year marked the 50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe for whom the main tennis stadium in Flushing is named winning the Wimbledon men’s singles title. But it’s also 75 years this very week since the first African-American player was allowed enter the US Open Althea Gibson. To tell us more about this pioneering tennis star, is Cameron Hill from Off The Ball.

According to a new survey, more than one third of Irish employees have actively looked for private information about their colleagues or customers in the last year including information about their salary, home address and age. All to discuss with Mary Connaughton, Director of CIPD.