Newstalk Weekend

Mike Hanrahan has had a long career in music and spent over a decade on the IMRO board. After the death of his mother, he went to Trinity to study for a fellowship in the study of equity in brain health, focusing on how the creative arts can help people with brain illnesses. Mike joins Anton to talk about it all.

Brian Burke, RTE Supergarden judge and Woodies DIY and garden expert, joins Anton to answer all of your gardening-related questions.

What actually goes on behind the scenes to win an Oscar? How much money is spent on campaigns? How has the award season changed over the years, and what impact does winning an award like this have on the production company? Joining Anton to chat about how the awards season has changed is Screentime presenter, John Fardy.

How did vehicles bought for overseas peacekeeping end up parked in storage and barely driven & what does it mean as Ireland considers a €500 million replacement programme? Joining Anton to discuss is Security Defence Analyst, Declan Power.

Cocaine use in Ireland has surged in the past decade, moving from the margins into the mainstream Irish social life, with Ireland now ranking among the highest users in Europe. So, what’s driving the boom, and what’s it doing to us? To discuss, Anton is joined by Jo-Hanna Ivers, Professor in Addiction at the School of Medicine at Trinity College Dublin & Detective Chief Superintendent Séamus Boland, the head of An Garda Síochána's Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

Anton is joined 'In conversation' by Professor of Disability Research, a sociologist and bioethicist, Tom Shakespeare.

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence has exposed serious gaps in online safety, highlighted this week by concerns around so-called “nudification” tools linked to Grok. At the same time, the Government has launched the National Conversation on Education, a public consultation aimed at shaping how Ireland prepares young people for a future defined by AI, digital risk, and constant change. Anton is joined by Minister for Education and Youth, Hildegarde Naughton, to discuss.

Joining Anton to go through the main stories for the Sunday papers is Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, Labour MEP; Valerie Cox, journalist; and Gavan Reilly, Political Correspondent at Virgin Media Television.

EU diplomats are set to hold an emergency meeting after Donald Trump announced tariffs against European countries over their opposition to US control of Greenland. Joining Anton to discuss the latest developments and how European leaders may respond is Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent for Euronews.Also joining Anton to discuss concerns over whether Donald Trump succeeds in exerting control over the US Federal Reserve and the possible ramifications for the global economy is Dan O'Brien, Chief Economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs & columnist with The Currency.

Dr Eleanor Galvin joins Anton to answer listeners' questions on all things medical.