The Pat Kenny Show

Episodes

• Was Maths Paper One a stinker ? 07.06.2026 7m

  With leaving cert students in the middle of their exams. Math's Paper one on Friday was, from all accounts a very difficult exam. Students and their teachers reported that the wording around the questions was confusing and time-consuming to comprehend. So was Math's Paper one a stinker, and should students be worrying following the exam ? Pat was joined by Eoghan O’Leary, Head of Maths at the tuition centre and teacher at Kinsale Community School to dicuss
• Controversy continues over Russian Links to Aughinish alumina refinery. 07.06.2026 10m

  Since its construction in 1978, Aughinish has been the largest alumina refinery in Europe and one of the largest employers in the Limerick area.  In recent weeks, reporting from The Irish Times and the organised crime and corruption reporting project has shown that alumina refined in Aughinish is being sent to Russia.  From there, their investigation shows aluminum once refined in Aughinish has allegedly ended up in arms for the Russia's war in Ukraine.Conor Gallagher is the crime and security correspondent at The Irish Times and has helped reveal the findings of this investigation. He joined Pat this morning to discuss
• Holocaust scholar on why Israeli actions must be described as genocide. 07.06.2026 19m

  Pat was joined by one of the world’s prominent scholars of the holocaust. Born and raised in a kibutz, Omer Bartov also served as an officer in the Israeli army.  His new book, Israel: What Went Wrong, focuses on the tragedy besetting Israel and Palestine. it pulls no punches as it sets out how Israeli actions can only be described as genocide.
• What our Google searches reveal about us 07.06.2026 11m

  Are you one of those people who look forward to the annual release of the top ten things we searched Google for?Simon Rogers is Google’s data editor, and his new book what we ask google offers an insight into how good or bad humanity could be doing based on what it searches for, and he joined Pat to explain.
• Pat's Sunday Paper Review June 7th 07.06.2026 6m

  Join Pat to run through the main stories from the Sunday papers !
• We hear from the defence forces as they prepare for deployment to Lebanon. 07.06.2026 8m

  Over 40 members of the defence forces recently took part in an intensive four-day training exercise at Fort Davis in County Cork as part of a programme to develop them into the next leaders of the defence forces.  Our southern reporter, Jamie O'hara went to Fort Davis to meet with some of those taking part.
• The Spat between the government and the Rotunda continues. 07.06.2026 7m

  The spat between the government and the board of the Rotunda is continuing as Taoiseach Micheal Martin warned the board to reflect on its decision.    The spat originates from the hospital's decision not to fully implement the public-only consultant contract.   Allowing a small number of consultants on public contracts to provide private maternity care.  It is reported that the hospital is making a stand as a matter of principle.    Ellen Coyne is a political correspondent with The Irish Times and has been reporting extensively on this. She joined Pat to discuss
• A chicken sandwich, which has an Asian twist, Gareth Mullens joins us ! 06.06.2026 6m

  Gareth Mullins, executive chef at the Anantara Hotel, joins Pat with a recipe for a Asian Flavored Chicken Sandwich as well as his favourite salad to make this time of year, the panzanella !
• Luke O’Neil, live from Sarajevo on a breakthrough in treating pancreatic cancer 06.06.2026 7m

  Luke O’Neil, professor of biochemistry in the school of biochemistry and immunology at Trinity College Dublin Joined Pat as always on a Saturday, but this time from Sarajevo.  This week Luke spoke to Pat about a major conference happening in Chicago, where the world's leading cancer specialists and researchers are coming together to share how they are working to fight the disease.
• Music in times of war 06.06.2026 11m

  Music and war may seem poles apart, but the suffering caused by conflict is sometimes best captured in the music of a great composer.  Music in time of war is the theme of this year’s West Cork Chamber Music Festival, which runs from 26th June until the 5th July.  The festival director joined Pat to talk us through some of the music and why it was chosen as this year's theme.
• How likely is it that hostilities in Ukraine and the Middle East will cease ? 06.06.2026 15m

  It’s been a week where both the conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine offered both horror as attacks continue, and hope as there are talks of ceasefires and talks about talks in both conflicts.  To make sense of what may be happening and to discuss the role US President Trump wants to play Pat was joined by Scott Lucas, professor and political analyst at the Clinton Institute in UCD
• Hamnet, author Maggie O’Farrell on her latest novel ! 06.06.2026 17m

  After an awards-laden spring which brought acclaim to the film adaptation of her novel Hamnet, she has a new novel, which was published on the 2nd of June.  Pat was joined by the great Maggie O’Farrell to talk about why her family history was the inspiration behind the book, aswell as to talk around the huge success of Hamnet.
• What should Leaving Cert Students be eating during their exams ? 06.06.2026 9m

  While exams often represent a significant shift in routine, they don’t necessarily need to be accompanied by a drastic change in diet.  Simple, efficient ways to introduce nutrients and key sugars to ensure brain function throughout are more than enough.  Joining Pat to discuss the dos and don'ts of exam dieting and wellbeing is registered dietician and nutritionist Sarah Keogh.
• Dispute between Rotunda Hospital and HSE escalates over public consultants contracts. 06.06.2026 10m

  Yesterday, board members of the Rotunda Hospital defied the Health minster by refusing to accept a government order to halt public-only consultants caring for private patients.    The number of consultant obstetricians on public contracts at the hospitals is small, but it is reported that the hospital wishes to make a stand as a matter of principle.    The dispute could see HSE funding for the rotunda withdrawn.    Joining Pat for more on this was Dr Peter Boylan, former master of the National Maternity Hospital and former chairman of the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• Icon, Star, Myth: Marilyn Monroe at 100 31.05.2026 15m

  She remains one of the most recognisable and fascinating figures of the 20th century - a Hollywood icon whose image has endured for generations, but whose real life was far more complex than the ‘blonde bombshell’ persona the world came to know. Bestselling author and biographer, Michelle Morgan, joins Pat to discuss Marilyn Monroe’s life, legacy, and why the world remains so fascinated by her a century later.
• The DNA trail in the Sophie Toscan du Plantier case expands 31.05.2026 9m

  Nearly 30 years on from one of the most notorious murders in modern Irish history, the investigation into the killing of Sophie Toscan du Plantier has taken a new turn. Gardaí are now seeking assistance from police forces across Europe and beyond, in an effort to identify a DNA trace found on the victim’s boot - evidence that could yet reshape understanding of a case that has long confounded authorities. Barry Roche, Southern Correspondent with the Irish Times, joins Pat to discuss.
• Pat's Sunday Paper Review May 31st 31.05.2026 17m

  Joining Pat to run through the main stories in the Sunday papers is Mark Hennessy, the Ireland and Britain Editor of The Irish Times.
• Georgina Davis, the newly-retired house manager of Farmleigh House 31.05.2026 12m

  Farmleigh House is the nation’s guest house, hosting dignitaries from around the world when they come to stay. With such a high-powered guest list, the person managing the house must have an eye for detail, a knowledge of the finer things in life, and a love for the job. For the past 25 years that role has been undertaken by Georgina Davis - she joins Pat to talk about her life at Farmleigh.
• Juvenile sentencing for serious sexual offences: Where do we stand? 31.05.2026 15m

  Juvenile sentencing for sex offences and rape hit the headlines in the UK this week when it came to light that a judge had given three boys convicted of the rape and serious sexual assault of two underage girls rehabilitation orders, rather than prison sentences. Noeline Blackwell, Online Safety Co-ordinator with The Children’s Rights Alliance joins Pat to discuss.
• What is a presidential library, and will Trump build his own ? 30.05.2026 11m

  After years of construction, almost a billion dollars in costs and controversy over the design, the Obama Presidential Library is set to open in just a few weeks’ time in Chicago. Never to be outdone by his longtime Democratic rival, Donald Trump is also currently pushing ahead with his own library in Miami, setting up a battle of architectural vanity, legacy and fundraising capacity. But how has the Presidential Library System evolved over the years? Reporter Simon Tierney joined Pat to Explain.