Newstalk Weekend

For many people, Christmas dinner is the most stressful meal they cook all year, and few understand that pressure better than Mark Moriarty. The chef and broadcaster is back on RTÉ this Monday with a Christmas Special focused on keeping festive cooking simple, calm, and achievable. Mark joins Sean Defoe to talk about it all.

Christmas chocolate divides families like nothing else. Some are pure nostalgia, some promise luxury, and some disappear far too quickly. To put them to the test, Sean Defoe is joined by writer and broadcaster Barbara Scully and journalist and digital and social media executive with Newstalk, Ciara Treacy, to taste test Celebrations, Roses, Quality Street, Butlers, Lir, and a bit of Dubai indulgence.

Sean Defoe is joined by GP Dr Ilona Duffy to discuss the significant surge in flu cases being seen across the country, the resulting pressure on hospitals, and the decision by many facilities to impose stricter visiting restrictions over the Christmas period, as well as the practical steps people can take to reduce the risk of infection and protect vulnerable loved ones.

With endless choice on streaming platforms, what keeps certain Christmas movies enduring, and what does that say about how we consume entertainment today? Screentime's John Fardy joins Sean Defoe to discuss.

Anton is joined by comedian Neil Delamere to talk about his new tour.

Last night saw the biggest premiere of the year take place in the Light House Cinema in Smithfield. There was an Oscar buzz and strong winds as Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal walked the red carpet to promote their new film, Hamnet. To discuss further, Anton is joined by Newstalk’s Henry McKean.

John Foley, a Boston-based immigration lawyer at Foley Law Offices, shares insights on new proposals requiring foreign visitors to disclose five years of their social media history. He discusses the implications for privacy and security, suggesting the hype may exceed reality. Foley predicts potential delays and highlights the burden of extensive data requirements. He critiques the administration's focus on sensationalism over practical tourism impacts and warns of increased enforcement measures, noting the political motives behind these changes.

Children’s hospitals are in crisis mode, with record numbers of flu admissions and intensive care beds filling fast, all before the flu season has even reached its peak. Anton is joined by Dr Brendan O’Shea, Kildare GP, Medical Director at K Doc, and Assistant Professor of Primary Care at Trinity College Dublin, to assess what’s driving this surge and what needs to happen next in the community and in primary care.

Joining Anton to go through the main stories from the Sunday papers is Bryan Dobson, former RTÉ broadcaster; Malcolm Byrne, Fianna Fail TD for the Wicklow–Wexford constituency & Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence; and Louise O'Reilly, Sinn Féin TD for Dublin Fingal West.Jack Hahn, Today reporter in Sydney, also joins Anton to get the latest on the shooting incident in Bondi, which has left at least 10 people dead.00:35:45.000

At least 10 people have been pronounced dead after gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah event being held at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Jack Hahn, Today reporter in Sydney, joins Anton to get the latest.