Brendan O'Connor

RTÉ

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.

  • 8 minutes 30 seconds
    Darina Allen: “Risotto is the ultimate stand-by dish”
    It’s the ultimate comfort food, so Darina Allen - chef and founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School – gives Brendan a masterclass in Risotto, suggesting foods that work well with it: from crispy pork lardons to foraged nettles.
    21 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 8 minutes 1 second
    “Troy Parrott is just in flying form right now” - Tony O’Donoghue
    As we face into potentially the biggest week in Irish soccer for a generation, RTÉ Soccer Correspondent, Tony O’Donoghue, reminds us of the magic of ‘Troy Parrott Week’ last November, and previews the World Cup qualifier against Czechia next Thursday.
    21 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 9 minutes 26 seconds
    Carrie Crowley on the joys of sea-swimming
    Broadcaster Carrie Crowley on the magic of sea swimming, beginners’ tips, safety tips and why it’s better to be in than out.
    21 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 30 minutes 46 seconds
    John Banville - “Humble items around the house might bring me to tears”
    Booker Prize-winner John Banville’s crime novel ‘Christine Falls’ has been chosen as Dublin City Council’s One Dublin One Book choice for 2026, 20 years after first being published. He joined Brendan to talk about love, relationships, grief, ageing and his five favourite crime thrillers
    21 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 10 minutes 8 seconds
    “This used to be called insider trading!” – the rise of online prediction markets
    Online prediction markets are in the news at the moment with people betting big on particular outcomes in global affairs. Liz Carolan, publisher of TheBriefing.ie, talks Brendan through how sites such as Kalshi and Polymarket differ from traditional gambling, and the new perils they present.
    21 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 28 minutes 38 seconds
    Dr Richard Hogan: “Guilt & shame have their tentacles in everything”
    Psychotherapist, Dr Richard Hogan, on shame and guilt: where these feelings come from; when they change from being healthy to unhealthy; and how we can move on from them.
    21 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 12 minutes 48 seconds
    The Watchlist
    Joining Brendan to look at the best TV shows and films heading our way this St Patrick’s week are broadcaster, Aifric O’Connell and Movie’s Editor with the RTE Guide, Michael Doherty. Their choices include tonight’s Oscars ceremony, the finale of Dancing with the Stars, Nicole Kidman’s latest adventure in ‘prestige trash’, and new documentaries.
    15 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 10 minutes 34 seconds
    Ed Guiney “The car queue lasts around 2 hours to the Oscars”
    Ed Guiney, CEO of Element Pictures – who made Room, Normal People and The Favourite – joins Brendan live from Hollywood, where he’s preparing to attend his fifth Oscars in 10 years. He tells Brendan what goes on behind the scenes, Ireland’s growing influence in Hollywood and Element’s latest movie, Bugonia, which has four Oscar nominations.
    15 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 25 minutes 59 seconds
    “Mam knew she was loved, but I wish I told her more” Édaein O'Connell on grief of losing her mother
    To mark Mother’s Day, freelance journalist Édaein O'Connell tells Brendan about her warm, loving and complex relationship with her late mother, who died in the past year. She describes how their relationship evolved from childhood into adulthood and how she’s mourning her loss and appreciating their relationship in a new light.
    15 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 53 minutes 8 seconds
    The Newspaper Panel
    Joining Brendan are political reporter with the Irish Independent, Aisling Moloney; Commentator and CEO of the Iona Institute, David Quinn; Law Lecturer at the University of Galway, Larry Donnelly; CEO of the Children’s Rights Alliance, Tanya Ward and former army ranger, medical doctor and former independent TD, Cathal Berry.
    15 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 27 minutes 15 seconds
    Liz Nugent - “I only ever had bad dreams – I’d wake up thinking I’d murdered someone”
    Bestselling and award-winning crime writer Liz Nugent chooses five songs that trigger memories of her life and career. She talks about the enduring impact of a childhood injury, embracing the dark side of humanity at a young age and the real-life inspiration for her crime novels.
    14 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • More Episodes? Get the App