“Lobotomies were an act of therapeutic desperation”

Writer Ann Ingle joins Brendan to discuss her new book ‘Still Here: Everything I Know About Being Older’. She describes letting go of pride, embracing technology and struggling with the sharp fall-off in physical contact.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joining Brendan to discuss the main stories in Sunday's newspapers are: Professor of Political Economy at UCD, Aidan Regan; barrister and former Fianna Fail Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin; political columnist with The Sunday Times, Alison O'Connor; principal of St Aidan's Community School, Tallaght, Kevin Shortall. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Writer Ann Ingle joins Brendan to discuss her new book ‘Still Here: Everything I Know About Being Older’. She describes letting go of pride, embracing technology and struggling with the sharp fall-off in physical contact.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Broadcaster and ‘intergenerational translator’ Aifric O'Connell joins Brendan to talk about the rise of the ‘Fall girl aesthetic’. She tracks its origins from ‘Christian girl Autumn’ and identifies its patron saint as Taylor Swift.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Writer Henrietta McKervey and Film and TV producer, Eoin Sweeney join Brendan to discuss the biggest new shows and films this week. Their choices include a documentary about the woman who prosecuted Donald Trump, ‘Ask E. Jean’; Irish true crime series ‘The Case I Can’t Forget’; and the latest season of long-running medical comedy ‘Scrubs’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Broadcaster Brian Dowling and Dancing with the Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian join Brendan to discuss their family life together and their remarkable careers. Brian charts his journey from winning Big Brother to a multifaceted TV career and Arthur describes fleeing Armenia to escape war and finding his feet as a dancer and choreographer.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Musician and mental health advocate, Niall Breslin, joins Brendan to discuss his new podcast series ‘Severed Minds’. It explores the history of the lobotomy in the United States, through the stories of Walter Freeman, who popularised and frequently performed the procedure, and of Gretchen Reb, one of the many patients whose life he destroyed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Poet Rita Ann Higgins joins Brendan with a new poem ‘Elder Speak’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Community Pharmacist and host of the Irish Pharmacy Podcast, Sheena Mitchell, talks to Brendan about how to manage your blood sugar. She explains how blood sugar works, and why common sense will regulate it better than any social media fad. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Psychotherapist Dr Richard Hogan joins Brendan to discuss resilience. He explores how to cultivate it in yourself and your children. Richard also talks about his difficult relationship with his father, who died recently. He reflects on how writing about his pain with his dad, helped to rekindle their relationship.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.