Highlights From The Pat Kenny Show

A look back on the new stories of the week on the Friday Forum. Joining Pat today was James Geoghegan TD, Fine Gael, Dublin Bay South, Senator Laura Harmon, Spokesperson on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science; Disability, Labour, Cork South-Central, Cork City South West and Rose Conway-Walsh, Sinn Féin TD for Mayo.

The UK government acted “too little, too late”, according to a damning official report on the handling of Covid 19. We get the details of the report findings with The UK government acted “too little, too late”, according to a damning official report on the handling of Covid 19.

Executive Chef of The Anantara Marker Hotel Gareth Mullins talks through a classic Irish stew as the cold nights set in.

Enoch Burke is still at large after the High Court ordered him to return to prison for the fourth time. Gardai believe he’s hiding in his family home in Castlebar and have made multiple calls to the house, but Enoch still hasn’t presented himself. We get the latest on this with Legal Affairs Editor for the Irish Independent Shane Phelan.

Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor Politics, School of Law and Government, DCU and Author of Unfinished Empire joined Pat this morning to dissect Trump’s twenty eight point peace plan for Ukraine.

You’re likely to have frequently heard of the cryptocurrency bitcoin in the past number of years…but what about ‘stablecoins’? Aave is the world’s largest decentralised finance lending network and has just received a license from the central bank to trade here and across Europe. Tech Editor with The Irish Independent Adrian Weckler explains.

The Premier League returns as Arsenal remains top of the leaderboard.  While Ireland face a tough game against South Africa in this weekend's international test match this Saturday. And in Formula One all eyes will be on Lando Norris who could run away with the driver's championship in Las Vegas this weekend? Colm Boohig from Off The Ball brings us all the sport to look forward to this weekend.

In light of Trump's alarming increase in personal attacks on journalists. Newstalk's Simon Tierney takes a look at the tense relationship between American Presidents and the press...

One person has died after a small plane crash near Tramore in Co Waterford yesterday. A garda spokesperson said the victim was the sole occupant of the light aircraft. We discuss this further with Kevin Byrne, Lieutenant Colonel Retired and Airport Safety and Security Auditor   

Adapted from the best-selling novel by Irish Author Andrea Mara, new thriller series "All Her Fault" opens on a terrifying situation that eventually unearths the deep secrets of a community. We hear more in Boxed with John Fardy.

Are kids better off being looked after at home or in afterschool care? Research from the ESRI shows that kids in afterschool are more likely to partake in sport and have better reading scores.

Exit Strategy is the thirtieth thriller in the Jack Reacher novels and once again this addictive series continues. Some of us, just cannot get enough of Reacher, the all-American hero created and written by a bloke from Coventry. Guests Lee and Andrew Child chatted to Pat about the new book.

“Before Amelia Earhart’s famous exploits and her infamous disappearance. A Limerick woman was the first true female trailblazer in aviation. The life of Mary, Lady Heath was both extraordinary and tragic, but her efforts to further the cause of female pilots, and women in sport, mark her as a true pioneer. Off The Ball’s Cameron Hill can tell us more:

A recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US suggests that using AI makes students less smart. Pat discuss these findings with Professor Luke O Neill , Professor of Biochemistry at the school of Immunology, Trinity College.

We hear about the new digital product passport that’s going to help consumers check where a product is made. We ask will this effort help people shop more sustainably? All to chat with Jo Linehan Climate Journalist.

A Russian spy ship is on course for Irish waters. But what do we know about the ship and its intentions in Irish Water. Pat discusses this with Conor Gallagher, Crime and Security Correspondent of The Irish Times and Commander Caoimhin MacUnfraidh Retired, 29 years with the Irish Naval Service.

Ireland's drinking rate has been steadily declining for decades now - in fact, according to recent OECD data, Irish people aren't even in the top third of drinkers globally.  But as alcohol use has trended down, loneliness has trended up particularly among young people. So is there a social toll to be paid for our increasingly sober society and is there a defence to be made for moderate drinking? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports: 

For anyone who isn’t aware it’s national healthy skin month this November. Joining Pat to discuss how we can keep our skin healthy during the cold winter months is Consultant dermatologist with the Institute of Dermatologists Professor Nicola ralph.

Next year the short-term letting industry is expected to get a massive overhaul in an attempt to combat the housing crisis. New rules are set to be introduced on May 20, 2026, and yesterday legislation faced pre-legislative scrutiny at the Oireachtas committee on enterprise, tourism and employment.  As reported by the Irish Independent, one woman spoke at the committee about how these new rules will cripple her income as it has been a lifeline for her family. Lorna Cahill has been renting out a granny flat in Co Clare for the last nine years and she joined Pat on the show.

Edward James was one of the most enigmatic figures of the twentieth century, a poet, collector, patron and visionary whose life blurred the boundaries between art and dream. He was born in 1907 into immense privilege, the only son of William James, an American millionaire whose fortune had grown out of the railway industry, and Evelyn Forbes, a Scottish aristocrat celebrated for her beauty.Diarmuid Gavin tell us about most enigmatic figures of the twentieth century.