Highlights From The Pat Kenny Show

Joining Pat to discuss what the astronauts on the Artemis II mission can expect is Dr Luke O’Neill.

A case in the United States that raises serious questions about the use of artificial intelligence in policing - a Tennessee grandmother arrested at gunpoint, jailed for months, and accused of crimes in a state she had never even visited, all after being misidentified by facial recognition software. Joining Pat to discuss this case and the wider issues of using FRT is Dr Elizabeth Faries, tenured assistant professor in the School of Information and Communication Studies, UCD, where she serves as director of the UCD Centre for Digital Policy

Gareth Mullins, executive chef at the Anantara Hotel, joins Pat with some mouth-watering Easter chocolate recipes.

It was one of the most bitter planning battles in Dublin’s history. Wood Quay, a priceless Viking settlement, was built over despite mass protests, court challenges, and 200,000 signatures. The result: Dublin City Council’s civic offices, a controversial but now established architectural landmark on the banks of the Liffey, but just 30 years on, the council wants to walk away at a potential cost of half a billion euro - but why? Joining Pat to discuss is architect, Roisin Murphy.

From restoring sight to reshaping the very surface of the eye, laser technology has transformed modern ophthalmology. Joining Pat for this week’s expert slot is Arthur Cummings of the Wellington Eye Clinic, to explain how different types of lasers are now used not just to treat eye disease, but to precisely alter, repair, and even stimulate the eye at a microscopic level.

It’s the end of another dramatic week in America and Israel’s war on Iran. Threats, counter-threats, and plenty of missiles have flown in all directions. Joining Pat to discuss the latest developments is Professor Paul Rogers, emeritus professor of peace at Bradford University.

Next week, the annual conferences of the TUI and the INTO will be taking place in Killarney, while the ASTI annual convention will be taking place in Wexford. On the agendas for each conference are issues affecting teachers up and down the country, from salaries and allowances to conditions of work and school resourcing. Joining Pat to discuss what will be coming up over the next week and what could and should be discussed is Brian Mooney, Guidance counsellor and columnist with the Irish Times.

Google and Meta have been ruled liable for creating platforms that pose risks to children and teenagers, in a landmark decision that could compel tech companies to reconsider how they respond to safety-related claims. Joining Pat to discuss is Dr Johnny Ryan, Senior Fellow at the Irish Council of Civil Liberties.

Pat is joined by historian, broadcaster and podcaster, Turtle Bunbury, to look back at the history of train travel in Ireland.

Joining Pat to chat through some of the main stories in the Sunday papers is journalist Brenda Power.

Ciara Noone moved from Monkstown to work in Beirut for six months. That was thirteen years ago, and she is still there. As the Israeli invasion of Lebanon continues to expand into all parts of that country, it is doing something remarkable to ensure its people and its businesses survive this war somewhat intact. Ciara joins Pat to discuss.

This week, we learned that the State prosecution case against three members of An Garda Síochána, accused of squaring away Fixed Charge Penalty Notices (FCPNs), will not proceed. Mick Clifford, Special Correspondent, The Irish Examiner, joins Pat to discuss.

The way we pay for things has fundamentally changed, from owning products outright to renting access, often indefinitely. Our daily lives now come with a monthly fee attached. Joining Pat to discuss how the financial system is nudging businesses toward subscription models and whether consumers are ultimately paying the price for that stability is Emma Howard, Economics lecturer from TUD.

Leo Varadkar stepped down as Taoiseach in March 2024, leaving politics at a relatively young age and at a time of significant global uncertainty. With conflict escalating in Iran, evolving Irish–US relations, and a new chapter in his own life underway, he joins Pat to reflect on leadership, legacy, and what comes next.

Ben de Pear is a BAFTA, Emmy-winning, and Oscar-nominated documentary producer whose films from Gaza include ‘For Sama’ and the controversial and celebrated ‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’, which was commissioned and then shelved by the BBC, before being shown on Channel Four. He joins Pat to discuss the ongoing attacks in Iran and Lebanon.

There have been some extraordinary developments in cancer research of late, from bacteria that can eat tumours from the inside to personalised vaccines designed using AI. Professor Luke O’Neil joins Pat to explain what this could mean for the future of treatment.

In this episode of Boxed, John Fardy, presenter of Screentime, chat about HBO's 'The Pitt'.

The state is failing some of its most vulnerable children, that’s the stark warning from the children’s ombudsman in a major new report out this week. The report describes a system under severe strain, with falling foster care numbers, growing reliance on private residential providers, and serious gaps in support for carers. So, what’s going wrong inside Ireland’s care system? Joining Pat to discuss is the Children’s Ombudsman, Dr Niall Muldoon.

With next week being Easter, it's time for some fish dishes that will suit all tastes. Gareth Mullins, Executive Chef at the Anantara Hotel, joins Pat to discuss.

Since the Trump administration intervened in Venezuela in January, Cuba’s access to fuel has been cut off due to the American oil embargo. What is sometimes lost in the current discourse is the once thriving relationship between America and its Caribbean neighbour, before Fidel Castro’s revolution, when it was a playground of the rich and famous, with enormous amounts of US business on the island. Simon Tierney has been exploring this for us and joins Pat to discuss.