The cringe-inducing blunder that occurred during the live final of Australia's Next Top Model reminded us of other presenters closer to home who were left red-faced after a botched winner's announcement on live tv...Ryan chats to 2FM DJ Damien Farrelly who relives his Celebrity Jigs and Reels moment in the spotlight when presenter Marty Whelan mistakenly told him he'd won! Also, presenter Derek Mooney tells of his live television disaster when he announced the wrong winner of Fame: The Musical.

Our politicians have been bandying about the analogy of a 'pig in a poke' the last few days - and quite frankly, we've no idea what it means or where it came from!?? Cue our knowledgeable listeners to the rescue, who inform us that a pig in a poke refers back to when people would buy calves in bags at markets. Unscrupulous dealers would put pigs in the bags thereby pulling the wool over the eyes of the purchaser, who would only find out on getting the animal home that they'd been sold a cheap pig in a poke and not a more expensive and useful calf!

Dave Sherry tells us of his discomfort when in the presence of couples who talk baby talk to each other - and another pet peeve - older women wearing childish pyjamas!

Pat O'Mahony joins Ryan in studio to talk about his Richard Nixon documentary which will air on Radio 1 this Saturday October 2nd at 6.05pm. Pat recalls Nixon's visit to Ireland back in October 1970 - 40 years ago next week.

Nob Nation - One from the archives - The News at One: NAMA / RTE shares take a dive on the FTSE, Anglo get an 8 million bail-out and Seanie Fitz steps out for a game of golf...

A few years ago, many people would have died rather than go to a pawnbroker - but that was then, and this is now. Mortgages are high, jobs thin on the ground and money is scarce. Pawnbrokers are seeing people from all walks of life coming through their doors. Pawnbroker Frank Cronin chats to Ryan about how the business works, how they value items and what people are bringing in to the pawn shops these days.

Our ole pal Shane O'Donoghue gives us the gossip from the green at the Ryder Cup in Wales.

And then there was 'Gate-Gate'! A 41 year old man was arrested this morning after a bizarre incident that saw a cement truck ram the gates of Leinster House. The words 'Anglo Toxic Bank' were displayed on the drum of the truck. A billboard on the back of the truck said 'all politicians should be sacked'. The driver escaped through a hatch on the roof before being arrested at about 7.15am. Dave Sherry reports from the scene...

After listening to Bernadette on yesterday's show, Caroline got in touch to tell us how she and her family cared for her dear father in law at home until he passed away last month. He suffered with dementia too. He really enjoyed having the grandchildren around and Caroline's youngest daughter used to keep him amused pretending to be Brian Cowen! Whether he understood her or not, they'll never know, but they could hear him laughing all over the house. It was hilarious to listen to! They all miss him so much.

Brendan Courtney and Sonya Lennon from RTE's Off The Rails join Ryan in studio to size up our singleton Hugh Farrell who contacted the show recently. Hugh felt he couldn't get a girlfriend because of how he looks, though things have improved somewhat since. The experts decided he's in dire need of a makeover - so watch this space...
Off The Rails are also looking for candidates for a make-over - if you're interested, contact offtherails@rte.ie or visit www.rte.ie/tv/offtherails/

A recent survey showed that REM's 'Everybody Hurts' is the song most likely to make men cry. Eric Clapton's 'Tears in Heaven' came second with Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' third. Ellis Rich of PRS for Music - which carried out the poll - said: "A well written tear-jerker is one people empathise with. This lyrical connection can reach deep emotionally and move even the strongest of men." So, we asked all the manly men out there, if there was a song which for some reason or another had reduced them to tears...and boy, were our tears jerked...'Scorn Not His Simplicity' by Luke Kelly (penned by Phil Coulter) was a particular favourite, 'Golden Slumbers' by The Beatles another...we could go on...we did! Apologies to those who had their make-up ruined and their macho-ness mocked! *sniff*

Shay Byrne joins Ryan to offer advice on how to get the most out of your pharmacy.

Are you a GAA fan? Are you looking for love? Well, look no more! Dermot Lawless from Donegal has come to the rescue! He has just set up www.lovegaa.ie - a dating website for GAA fans. So get your jerseys out - it's time to score!

Jay Leno caused a bit of a stir when he referred to the leader of our country Brian Cowen as 'a drunken moron'. Leno's NBC Tonight Show monologue featured a segment where his studio audience were asked whether photographs of various people were "bartender, politician or comic". A picture of Mr. Cowen was shown and people were asked to clap to indicate their choice. But it seems the excitable American audience keep abreast of world affairs because most managed to identify him as a politician. Leno confirmed in a comedy Irish accent they had answered correctly.
 
Following his Late Late Show appearance, Diarmuid Gavin reiterates his passion for this country and why he feels we're not at the same place we were in the 1980's etc.
 
Frances and her daughter are huge Michael Buble fans - they went to both concerts at the Aviva Stadium over the weekend. They made a banner with "Buble - You're Some Kind of Wonderful" which Michael spotted and read out from the stage! Frances is hoping some fellow Buble fans maybe took photos of her daughter with the man himself??? If you do - send them to us! tubs@rte.ie
 

Ryan was joined in studio by the wonderful Bernadette Brady who spoke about her heartache as she watched dementia destroyed her mother's memory, her personality and her ability to communicate. There are currently 44,000 people with dementia in Ireland and their carers are suffering both physically and emotionally because of inadequate resources. If you would like to speak to someone about dementia, you can call the Alzheimer National Helpline on 1800 341 341 or visit the Alzheimer Society of Ireland website www.alzheimer.ie
 
Nob Nation - The Nobs are laid up today so we decided to dig deep into the Archives and go back to the 5th May 2008 - Bertie's last day as Taoiseach...
 
Give Me a 'T', Give me a 'U', Give Me a 'B', Give Me an 'S' etc... Ryan is joined by the vivacious Irish Cheerleading Team - yes, we have an Irish Cheerleading Team! Team Ireland Galway coach Fiona Cullen and Irish Cheer Sport Association Director Amy White brought their bubbly brigade to the studio to prove that cheerleading is more than just shaking pom-poms - we got the whole shebang - cartwheels, pyramids and plenty of CHEER! The 2nd All Ireland National Cheerleading Championships will take place on the 23rd October 2010 at the DCU Sports Arena, Dublin. The Team Ireland Dance Tryouts are being held this Sunday.

Sarah called in after hearing Frances' Michael Buble story to make Ryan jealous of her prized possession - Frank Sinatra's autograph. She wouldn't part with it for anything. She was working as a child-minder in Maryland and Ol' Blue Eyes was coming to Baltimore for one night - she was only 19 or 20 at the time. She went down to see if she could see him - and there he was! - but there was a doorman standing in her way. She ran under his arm - and Frank told the bouncer to leave her alone! He was a gent - Sarah thought he was the bee's knees!
 
Kit-Kat 2FM Competition - All this month, Kit-Kat and 2FM are giving you the chance to win a Break From Your Bills by giving away up to E2,000 each day across the coming three weeks. 3 lucky winner will each win a further E25,000 in our grand finale on The Paddy McKenna and Ruth Scott Show on Saturday 2nd October. Congratulations to Shane Smith who won E1,820 today on Tubridy by finding the Kit-Kat stand at his local shop and following the instructions to play the game! For more information, log on to www.rte.ie/2fm. Terms and Conditions Apply. 
 
Ryan chats to Ireland's only female dragon Sarah Newman, the self-made dot com millionaire...

Dave Fanning is championing Bono in this week's episode of Ireland's Greatest on RTE 1 which takes Dave from Dublin to London to Ghana. Dave was incredibly keen for this documentary to feature all the facets of Bono's talent, commitment and greatness - not just as a singer and a rock 'n' roll frontman, but as a global campaigner for human rights. 

Speaking on last Tuesday's show, Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen, said that he has been getting a lot of complaints from people about beggars outside shops and ATM's. Our reporter Dave Sherry decided to do a journey through Dublin, stopping to talk to those who have ended up on the streets.

Fionn Regan, one of our favourite Irish singer-songwriters, joins Ryan for a chat and a couple of tunes - a glorious start to the week, what a talented troubadour...

Diane got in touch with the show to tell Ryan about the Grown Up Debs she has organised for those who never went to their own or who had a debs disaster! Diane had her own debs back in 1993 in Loreto Swords and had a ball....but she found that many people didn't share the same experience - well, you have one more chance to make your debut! If you feel hard done by and want to have one more chance of a dance, get down to the Hilton Hotel in Charlemont Street this Saturday! Tickets are E50 which includes dinner and a cocktail. Visit www.grownupdebsball.com 

The Irish Film and Television Academy paid special tribute to one of Ireland's best and brightest broadcasters last week. He is a national treasure and one of the most highly-regarded journalists of our time - Cathal O'Shannon chats to Ryan about his fascinating career.

Adrian wanted to find a toy to teach his 4 year old daughter robin to speak Irish but he couldn't track one down so he came up with one himself! Babog Baby is the world's first Irish speaking toy which teaches toddlers and children 33 words in Irish. The soft toy will be on sale next month in Smyths Toy Stores and other shops but you can purchase now from his website www.babogbaby.com

Niamh contacted the show concerned about her 11 year old son Alex who doesn't really enjoy reading books...she's finding it very difficult to get him to read. His schoolwork is not affected but he's very nervous reading aloud. His 4 year old sister is mad about books however! Niamh is a big reader herself and wants him to enjoy reading. Just in the last few days though he's found investigative books he's happy to read. So maybe it's about finding the right genre! Listeners offer their advice to Niamh on what books Alex may enjoy.

Ryan was delighted to be joined by Mark Kennedy Shriver, son of Eunice Mary Kennedy. Mark is proud to be part of both the Kennedy and Shriver political families. The government is to support a special Eunice Kennedy Shriver Day to celebrate the life and work of the founder of the Special Olympics. The sister of former US president John F Kennedy will be honoured on the fourth Saturday of September each year. Taoiseach Brian Cowen is to host the first event at the state residence, Farmleigh House in Dublin's Phoenix Park tomorrow, Saturday 25th September.

Norma O'Brien got in touch to tell us how last night she dreamt that she was hosting The Late Late Show which incidentally was going out during a Rod Stewart Concert at Thomond Park in Limerick. She was hosting it with Alexandra Burke who was wearing a beautiful black dress and who announced that her weight had shot up to 13 stone! She had to interview Alan Rickman who was suddenly French and had very little English and just before the interview she realised she was wearing her husband's tracksuit and she had mislaid her foolscap page of questions and even though she's a big Harry Potter fan she couldn't even remember Snape's name. Random or wha'?!!!

Nob Nation - The latest opinion poll was yet another bloodbath for Fianna Fail. But beneath the wreckage of Labour's rise to the top is a worrying Fine Gael slump. This morning, Nob Nation catches up with Enda Kenny to see what's going wrong for the Blueshirts.  

Anna Carey, journalist and former band member joins Ryan to talk highs and lows of being in a band - the dream versus reality! And Joe O'Leary, frontman with Cork band Fred shares his experience of life on the road.

Ryan spoke to Martina who sent a text into the show yesterday to tell us how she had a crush on her swimming teacher when she was 16. They started going out when she was 19, married at 24 and this Sunday they'll be celebrating 13 years together as proud parents of three beautiful boys. Happy Anniversary!

For anybody who missed getting tickets for Michael Buble tonight - Crumlin Children's Hospital have been on and they have been given two tickets to auction for the concert tonight. If you want to bid on those tickets you can call Sarah Benson in Crumlin on 01 709 1733.

Dickie Gets Stamp of Approval! Showband mover n' shaker Dickie Rock has become a pop culture icon - his face will appear on the new 55c postage stamp. Dickie Rock and the Miami Showband are to be immortalised in the Republic's new stamp collection alongside other showband legends. The Dublin singer said he was especially moved by the An Post stamp, featuring him and the Miami Showband in a publicity shot from 1967, because it featured members Fran O'Toole and Brian McCoy, who were later murdered by a UVF loyalist gang on their way from a gig in Banbridge, Co. Down in July 1975. Dickie talks to Ryan from Portugal.

Jim O'Sullivan is the captain of an oil rig barge based off the coast of Brazil. He called the programme to complain about courses being advertised in the papers offering training for people looking for work in the oil and gas industry on rig and support vessels. The ad suggests that there are lots of jobs available to people who complete the course - but Jim says that's not true.

Three female TD's in as many weeks have announced that they won't be contesting the next general election. Liz O'Donnell, former TD and Minister for State and one of the few women in our history to serve in the cabinet, feels that now, more than ever, women need to stand up and be counted. 

Sean Carney, our long haired lover from Liverpool (well, ok, we lied about the hair...and the love) but he is from Liverpool and he's our canteen colleague who is a proper 'Pool fan! He's gutted about last night's embarrassing penalty shoot out Carling Cup defeat against Northampton at Anfield.

Nob Nation - The Taoiseach Brian Cowen has had a turbulent few weeks. So this morning, the Nobs give him some well earned peace and quiet. But has Mr. Cowen picked the wrong day to give up the party?

In an article in The Tribune, Baz Ashmawy admitted that he doesn't vote. He has only ever voted once or twice in his life when he was a lot younger. He has no interest in politics - he has never felt like it mattered to him. He did vote in a couple of Referendums, one of which was the Abortion Referndum. He is more interested in American politics. 

Alison Meagher is the Dublin Regional Organiser for Young Fine Gael. At 21, she's in her final year in Irish studies in Trinity College. Young Fine Gael is autonomous and create their own policy, sometimes conflicting with the senior party - Young Fine Gael are against the abolition of the senate. Alison thinks people like Baz should strongly reconsider their position. 

Anna texted the show yesterday to start a campaign to bring back Sesame Street to RTE! She has a 2 year old son who is a big fan and Anna loved the programme as a child herself. She introduced her son to Elmo and friends at an early age and he absorbed everything, from books to DVD's. Sesame Street really knows how to kick start a child's imagination. We're all in agreement - bring back Sesame Street, RTE!!!

We plead with Dermot Horan, director of programme acquisition in RTE to bring back Sesame Street - we think we maaaay have twisted his arm!?! Watch this space... 
 

Patricia Kennedy from the Sticks and Stones drama group talks to Ryan about the impact X-Factor style bullying can have on our children. Patricia runs anti-bullying workshops for kids from 4th class to 2nd year. Patricia has noticed that kids are having their own talent competitions in the playground and that there is an increase in cruelty. The problem is that if an 8 year old is watching one of these reality talent shows on TV and an adult is making fun of a contestant, then the 8 year old thinks it is acceptable. 

We hear from Louise who is the mother of a child who is being bullied in school. Her daughter took part in a talent show in the school yard and was told she wasn't good enough - her hair wasn't right, she wasn't wearing the right clothes etc.

Dublin's Lord Mayor has highlighted a problem everyone who works or shops in the city is unfortunately all too familiar with. The Lord Mayor, Cllr. Gerry Breen, says begging has become the number one issue for residents and visitors to the city centre. He wants a new law on begging, which has just finished its second stage in the Dail, to be enacted quickly. It will make it illegal for anyone to beg within 10 metres of a business premises in a city centre that does up to €3 billion of business each year, he says. The Lord Mayor has come under fire for suggesting drug treatment centres should be moved to city suburbs in order to spread the problem of addicts on the streets. The current situation makes it uncomfortable for many of us to visit or shop in the city. A solution needs to be looked at urgently. Listeners Patricia and Stuart share their views and experiences of beggars in the city centre.

Joe Duffy discusses James Connolly's citizenship - Joe is advocating James Connolly as part of the 'Ireland's Greatest' series on RTE - despite Connolly being born in Edinburgh.

For one week, three old-school Irish Countrywomen's Association mentors will throw open the doors of ICA central in Termonfeckin Co. Louth, for ICA Bootcamp. Four bright, ambitious and pampered twenty-somethings have signed up to learn everything the ICA can teach them about fending for themselves. From baking to hat-making, Claudia Murphy, Emily O'Donnell, Michelle McGrath and Imelda Byrne have the chance to uncover hidden talents and learn skills that will save money and impress their peers. Ryan made no hesitation in inviting the girls into his studio this morning...tune in to ICA Bootcamp tonight on RTE Two, 10.00pm.

Vincent Browne returns to the TV3 hotseat in this morning's Nob Nation as he prepares to savage his panel that includes a sleeping minister, a crime journalist and a well known senator.

Ryan chats to Lisa Jameson from Dublin's Wax Museum about getting waxed - no, not that! - Tubs has been offered the chance to become the museum's latest wax work - stick him in the Chamber of Horrors we say!!!

Eat, Pray, Love has jumped from the page to the silverscreen - the book has sold almost 7 million copies so will the movie be as successful - well, with Julia Roberts at the helm, possibly! Ryan chats to two intrepid, spiritual young women who have seen the movie AND read the book - Caroline Murphy and Heidi O'Grady.

After spotting her Tweet, Ryan chats with Gemma Hussey about Fine Gael TD PJ Sheehan's alleged threats to a female garda on July 8th last, as she prevented him from using his car while he was intoxicated in the environs of Leinster House.

Dave 'The Brave' Sherry knows how to take on a double dare - and took a plunge into the River Liffey this morning for a quick swim between the Ha'penny Bridge and O'Connell Bridge - mouth closed of course! Under the watchful eye of Paul Wynne from the Half Moon Swimming Club and Bill Powderly from the Civil Defence, a shivering Dave describes the sights, smells and tastes of Dublin's wettest tourist attraction. Check out the photos and footage here!

Ryan meets tellybox's latest daytime divas - Maura Derrane, Claire Byrne and Daithi O Se! Starting today, Maura will be presenting Four Live, a lifestyle show which will deliver tips, stories, information and advice on areas including health, food, value for money, style, beauty and much more. Claire and Daithi will be presenting a daily digest of the latest news headlines, topical stories and showbiz gossip on The Daily Show.

Damien O'Meara drops by to fill Ryan in on how his beloved 'Pool fared in yesterday's match against their rivals, Manchester United (they lost 3-2 - eek!), Cork's triumphant win over Down in the dramatic All-Ireland final and Katie Taylor's fantastic weekend where she was named 'Boxer of the Tournament' at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship in Trinidad and Tobago - the Bray fighter won her third World gold medal on Saturday night, taking an 18-5 verdict over Chinese fighter Cheng Dong, then had to overcome adversity in her semi-final against Queen Underwood of the USA, prevailing by 18-16 after a fraught final round.

And it's Nob Nation commercial break time as the Nobs offer the perfect services for you, whether you're hoarse, in need of political speech therapy or applying for the position of legendary commentator.

Online media analyst Stephen O'Leary gives us the low-down on Mark Zuckerberg, founder of social networking website Facebook. Five hundred million people have joined since it was started in Mark's college dorm 6 years ago. The site is a directory of the world's people and a place for private citizens to creat public identities. Become a fan of our Facebook page!

Enda Brady reports live from London on day two of Pope Benedict XVI's state visit to Britain. The Pope spent the night at the Papal Nuncio's residence at Wimbledon before meeting teachers and students, as well as representatives of religious congregations at St. Mary's University College in Twickenham.

Michelle contacted us after listening to 'gifted child' Gavin Tucker on yesterday's show - Michelle is a newly qualified teacher and feels that our system does nothing to help anyone who is above the general ability levels.

Ryan chats to Gabrielle who is a grandmother and is minding her son's youngest daughter Skye who is two and a half - but as her own youngest is 22, Gabrielle feels totally out of practise and is looking for advice!

Blessed art Ryan amongst women! The temperature in studio soared this morning when Kathryn Thomas, Sile Seoige, Jenny Buckley and Ruth Scott dropped by to tell us about their challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro on October 9th in aid of Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin and the National Children's Research Centre. The girlies, along with a number of other Irish celebrities, will depart Ireland for Tanzania where they will come face to face with the great peak, dedicating their climb to those doctors, nurses and the many beautiful kids who have and will benefit from their love and expertise. Anyone who wishes to donate to the project and follow the progress of the celebrities can register today at www.climbforkids.org or call 1890 507 508 or email climbforkids@cmrf.org and you will receive a Climb For Kids fundraising pack which includes a pedometer and FM radio. There is a registration fee of E10.

This morning Nob Nation draws a line under Taoiseach Brian Cowen's bizarre week at the helm. In the comedy blockbuster of the year, Biffo stars alongside Brian Lenihan, Micheal Martin and Bertie in - The Hangover!

Remember Jim'll Fix It? The bejewelled blonde man in the flecky tracksuit making kid's 'dreams' come true - which mostly included trips to a factory of some sort and the donning of white lab coats and hair nets??! Well, Wicklow man David Walsh had a dream...the dream to dance on stage with Michael Flatley! And guess what - Flatley fixed it for him! After David stalked and begged the Lord of the Dance on his doorstep, he was offered the chance of a lifetime to dance alongside Mr. Flatley as part of the Feet of Flames tour in Taiwan. David's dream came true and he urges others out there to follow theirs and never give up!

Ryan is joined in studio by Connemara man Michael Coyne who was in an armoured division of the US army during the Vietnam War. He received five Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars, both with V Devices for Valor. Michael developed an interest in filmmaking after a period projecting training films for the Army  and in 1967, he bought an 8mm camera and began filming from the rear deck of his tank. Only two reels of film survive. Scenes filmed from the tank as it moved along the red-dirt roads of Ho Chi Minh trail include villagers and civilian traffic, US infantry on patrol, military helicopters, soldiers firing machine guns and cutting a path through the jungle. Kassandra O'Connell from the IFI film archive talks about their historic collection and urges people to contact them if they have amateur or commercial Irish material and they will assess whether it is historically important and should be added to the collection. For more details email info@irishfilm.ie or visit www.irishfilm.ie   

The nation awoke this morning to the announcement that RTE's Gaelic Games commentator Micheal O Muircheartaigh is retiring. Paidi O Se, retired Irish Gaelic football manager and former player, chats to Ryan about the legend of a man. Tributes flooded in with caller's stories of Sundays spent watching the GAA with the telly on, sound down and the radio blasting Micheal's inimitable style. This Sunday, we will hear Micheal's final commentary for the 114th All-Ireland Senior Football Final between Cork and Down, his 25th final in the year of his 80th birthday. His voice has defined GAA broadcasting for a generation, and will echo down the generations to come. Go n-eiri an t-adh leat, a Micheal!

Ryan had a chat with 82 year old Kitty Gabbet whose son texted into the show yesterday - Kitty only recently decided she was fed up sitting in the passenger seat and wanted to take the wheel and learn how to drive! She had kept it a secret from her 8 children, 32 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren and went for her first lesson this morning with her driving instructor who was very pleased and impressed with her! Happy Driving Kitty! 

With Pope Benedict XVI kissing the tarmac on the landing strip at Edinburgh Airport this morning, we talk to Vatican insider Father Michael Collins, who taught in Rome for years before returning to work in Dublin in 2005 and has reported for CNN, BBC and Sky News. It's the first visit since John Paul II's pastoral visit in 1982 and the first ever official visit by a Pope to Britain. The Pope plane will be filled with cardinals and Vatican press correspondents known as 'The Vat Pack'.

Nob Nation - Today the Nobs reveal the voicemails that Taoiseach Brian Cowen heard on the famous morning after the infamous night before...

15 year old Gavin Tucker wrote a letter to the show during the week - he's a 6th year student in Lanesboro Community College and describes himself a 'gifted child'. Gavin felt let down by our education system and tells Ryan how his otherwise 'blissful life' was almost destroyed last year as he found himself losing the motiviation to work in school and refusing to contribute in class. After much deliberation, Gavin was allowed to move straight from 3rd year into 5th year - provided he sat his Junior Cert - which he did and he received his results yesterday. He is much more stimulated and looking forward to the Leaving Cert next year. 

We also hear from Eileen, mother of two young gifted children herself, who compares the Irish education system's approach to gifted children to that of the US, where she lived for 5 years. She also feels that we are wasting a huge amount of potential in our brightest children by not supporting and challenging them.

21 year old Jeremy Beshoff described the tragic incident which occured at the pier in Howth Co. Dublin back in July where he encountered a 'near-death' experience. Jeremy recounted his struggle to break free from a Mini Cooper after a 45 year old father, who had taken it for a test drive from his garage Beshoff Motors, appeared to deliberately drive it over the edge of the middle pier in the harbour. Before he knew it, they were in the water and within 15 seconds, the whole car was submerged. Jeremy smashed the front passenger window, escaped and was pulled to safety by a fisherman at the pier. The body of the other man, who sadly drowned, was later recovered.  

With the Brian Cowen juggernaut still gathering momentum two mornings after the night before, we discuss whether 'Cowengate' is a national crisis or storm in a pint glass. Dave Sherry caught up with some FF-ers in The Ardilaun Hotel Galway yesterday and got some interesting responses to our Taoiseach's 'performance' on Morning Ireland.

After picking up on a Tweet, Ryan laments the absence of an iconic tapestry of Mary Robinson that sat in the window of a gallery on Dame Street, keeping an eerie eye on passers by for years - the gallery is now no more and people have been curious as to where Mary has taken residence! Within minutes, we hear from Cliona, wife of the gallery owner, who informs us that the tapestry is now in storage - despite many offers to take it off their hands!

Now if you've been out and about shopping, you may have noticed a new shop window advertising campaign in Debenhams high street stores at the moment. In many ways it's similar to other ads - beautiful models wearing beautiful clothes - but it's also a little bit different...Shannon Murray is one of those models in the ad - she's from Dublin and she's also a wheelchair user...

Well, Nob Nation had a field day after yesterday's headlines! News At One's Sean O'Rourke interviews Brian Cowen, Shane MacGowan and Eamon Dunphy - hilarity ensues!

Seamus Sherlock appeared on last Friday's Late Late Show talking about his ESB being disconnected. His bill at the moment is E1250 - his job seekers allowance is E196. There has been a huge reaction to him - at least 600 people have approached him since Friday's show and now the ESB have agreed to let him pay off E50 a week. Seamus is very passionate about the fact that there are so many other people in his situation and they will be cut off this week - the only reason he feels he hasn't been cut off is because he was on The Late Late Show.

AND LOOK WHAT WE FOUND...

Ahhhh, would ye look at him - our very own Dave Sherry as a wee nipper - selling his soul for a slice of meat...!!!

After gagging at Lady Gaga's 'carnivore couture' at the MTV Video Music Awards (she wore a dress made of raw meat ladies and gentlemen!), we chat to Una Burke, a Roscommon designer who was commissioned to design for the Poker Face'd one herself. Una is based in London and getting ready for London Fashion Week where her work will be on show for day one and then it's on to Paris Fashion Week. Her first collection was very conceptual, which is why Lady Gaga was so into it. Her next collection is going to be more accessible - she wants it to be wearable by celebrities but also by the people on the street.

Bernadette makes us squirm when she described what her husband found when he went out to the brown bin (food bin) last night - it was infested with maggots! They were crawling out of the bin and climbing up on the windows of the sunroom. Although Bernadette usually covers the wasted food with newspapers, she reckons maybe the meat was not covered. She still feels itchy just thinking about it! Listeners offer advice on how to exterminate the menacing maggots and how to prevent them. Theresa Leonard emailed in a photo of her wheelie bin, which was also playing house to the creepy crawlies...*shudder*

 
Our rugged reporter Dave Sherry stepped out into the forest of Ballygar in Co. Galway with Mandy Hynes to embark in a spot of sled-dog sports! Mandy is with the Irish Federation of Sled-dog Sports and they're hosting an International Conference in the Belair Hotel in Ashford, Co. Wicklow. The festival is on from the 23rd-28th September. Mandy started out with a big bunch of huskies as pets and came across the idea of sled-dog sports online 6 years ago - she also runs boarding kennels and rescues and breeds dogs. So Dave took the huskies by the reigns and MUSHED! Woah Boy!

After a rummage in the Nob Nation archives, we took a little trip, a road trip with JEDWARD!!!

Ryan had a chat with Dara Fitzpatrick, Chief Helicopter Pilot with the Irish Coastguard who has over 20 years of flying experience. For the first time ever RTE cameras have been given exclusive access into the Irish Coast Guard's Helicopter Search and Rescue service. Dara is one of only a handful of civilian rescue pilots in the world. Rescue 117 is a six-part factual documentary series which airs on September 14th at 8.30pm.

Kit-Kat 2FM Competition - All this month, Kit-Kat and 2FM are giving you the chance to win a Break From Your Bills by giving away up to E2,000 each day across the coming three weeks. 3 lucky winner will each win a further E25,000 in our grand finale on The Paddy McKenna and Ruth Scott Show on Saturday 2nd October. Congratulations to Anthony Healy who won E2,000 today on Tubridy by finding the Kit-Kat stand at his local shop and following the instructions to play the game! For more information, log on to www.rte.ie/2fm. Terms and Conditions Apply.  

Simone phoned in to express her concern for her 8 year old daughter who is desperate to see Lady Gaga in concert in October. She has tickets for the O2 gig but is worried the show will be too raunchy and adult-themed for her little girl. She feels that perhaps it will go over her head, but Ryan's not so sure! Maura is travelling up from Dingle with her 2 sons to see Lady Gaga in October - they're aged 9 and 11. They love her music and are all really looking forward to the razmatazz! It's a mixed reaction from parents as to whether it's inappropriate or not to bring kids to the show. 

Ryan gets laddish and talks footy with Damien O'Meara who has taken him under his wing as Liverpool FC's newest supporter! Admitting that footy is not his forte, Ryan is eager to learn the lingo and get passionate 'bout The 'Pool! Enter football legend Ray Haughton for some words of wisdom. Damien discusses 6 Simple Rules to becoming a credible soccer fan: 
1. Choosing your club
2. Knowing your club's patriarch
3. Being able to wax lyrical about the club's defining success
4. Knowing which players to love
5. Knowing which players to hate!
6. Knowing the Songs!

Nob Nation - This morning mystery surrounds the fate of Roy Keane's famous dog, Trigger. Some newspapers speculated at the weekend that news of his demise may have been greatly exaggerated. We get the truth from the nobs on Liveline!

If you happen to work for William Hague you'll be used to sharing your hotel room with your boss while travelling with work but what are the other work dilemmas that cause us to dread the office doors... Journalist Susan Daly joins Ryan to give her own cv of her professional predicaments.
 

Because this week is National Savings Week, we kicked off the start of the weekend with a whopping E5,000 EBS savings account giveaway for one of our lucky listeners! Congratulations to Rachel Healy - happy spending (or should that be saving...?!)

Ryan asks listeners whether he should accept the request from the National Wax Museum to have a wax model of his good self made for display in their Hall of TV 'Legends'! Cue taunts about his physique and modelling abilities! So, Yes or No? YOU decide!

Tattoos - Taboo?! We chat to Bernadette who got a tattoo for her 60^th birthday and Anne who is 77 years young and went to Temple Bar a few weeks ago with her two grandsons to get her angel tattoo!

On the back of an email, Ryan discusses Debs do's and don't's - listeners are concerned for their debutante daughter's and what's expected of them AFTER the function...and other parents advise mothers and fathers to trust their teens and let them make their own decisions...

As ever, we enter the parallel world of Nob Nation...where our very own presenter gets a giddy grilling...

The studio turns it up to 11 by letting Horslips loose with a jammin' session! Ryan welcomes the boys back with a bang - and with a bit of banter and a batter of the bodhran, they treat us to two live tracks - catching the attention of passer-by Joe Elliott who also drops in for a quick hello!

Ryan chats to journalist and broadcaster Vincent Browne who is philosophical about the necessity to sell Atlanta, the much-loved Coliemore Road home in Dalkey he and his wife, Jean, bought for 94,000 (119,000) in 1987. The house, a Victorian semi-detached with direct access to the sea, is on the market for 3.25 million. As much as Vincent wants to keep the family home, he says they've no choice but to sell to pay debts from Village magazine and supply a pension.

Grainne Seoige dishes the dirt on Daybreak, the new ITV morning show with Adrian Chile and Christine Bleakley. Grainne, Entertainment Editor, talks about Prince Charles' appearance on the show tomorrow where he'll be quizzed on his new Green Living initiative, 'Start'.

We met Hugh who is single, straight and 38. Forty is just around the corner and with that unsettling knowledge comes the depressing realisation that more than half your expected lifetime has been spent acting the maggot. He discusses what it is really like to be single and what his ideal woman is...Enter Ann-Marie Cussen - dating guru and managing director of "It's Just Lunch" and psychology postgraduate who did her thesis on alternative dating methods - she knows a thing or two about dating!  Anne-Marie and her team of experts arranged over 5000 dates in their first year of business of which 50% went onto have a second date. Ann-Marie is going to help Hugh get a date! Any takers out there???

Ryan had a chat with actor Martin Freeman, best known as the 'nice guy' from The Office.  Martin had to pass up the chance to play Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming production of The Hobbit, due to his commitments to the TV show Sherlock which has been confirmed for three new adventures this autumn.

Height-dodger Dave Sherry spat in the face of his fear and with a deep breath, took another shot at the Dublin Eye! With the help of phobia expert and psychologist Suzanna Healy, Dave used his experience of visual reality therapy to conquer his fear of heights...and it seemed to work...well, let's say, he won't be doing a bungee jump anytime soon...!

On the back of a Tweet, Ryan chats with Sky News reporter Enda Brady before his interview with 24-year-old Edward Nino Hernandez, who was certified as the shortest man in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records!

27 year old die-hard Cork fan Diarmaid Twomey, has vowed to defy a property management company's instructions to remove GAA flags from his apartment windows. Diarmaid received a letter from his Property Management company on Tuesday night. He said the owners of the apartments signed up to several rules upon purchase, including quiet time from 10.30pm to 8am.  He said he has no intention of removing the flags and said he has the support of his landlord and some of his neighbours.

Callers vented their rage at those cheating the social welfare system - some admitted to reporting neighbours, friends and relatives for their wrongdoings - others preferred not to interfere.

After a discussion in the office about clothes for children, we all seemed to think that, given he run of their own wardrobes, young girls (and we're talking about 6 year old and up) will opt to dress very provocatively. Carol Hunt, journalist and mother of two girls, talks about the little girls who just can't wait to grow up - dressing like their 'idols' Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga - all make up, miniskirts and midriffs a-showing. Parents tell us of their own difficulties with their little angels dressing like drag queens

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This week we got a stark reminder that our days of beers and barbeques are effectively over - not that they ever started really...but anyway, autumn is here with all the diversity of weather it visits on us - rain, hail and little or no sunshine. So, as the light goes down on our summer evenings, it's time to take control of our TV watching. And what better way to do this than with the careful selection of an honest to goodness boxset...TV connoisseur Paul Whitington gets passionate about Mad Men, Dexter, The Wire, House, True Blood 30 Rock et al. 

Sinead Egan pops in to talk about the show's updates on Facebook.

18 year old Aisling Judge from Kinsale faced one of the most daunting, albeit exciting, experiences yesterday - the first day of college. She got off to a good start by visiting the student bar to watch the Ireland match and made a few new friends! Aisling is studying Engineering in UCD and hopes to specialise in bio-processing. The course will give her a background to further develop her project that won the BT Young Scientist of the Year 2006.

This morning, Nob Nation merges the world of Irish politics with the hit TV show set in the chauvinistic 1960s, Mad Men. Biffo Draper is an old fashioned whiskey drinker with a troubled past. It's no place for a woman, or indeed, the faint hearted.

And we'll leave you with the aesthetic pleasure of 30 Rock's Tina Fey struggling to convince her colleague to wear a brassiere...

On the back of yesterday's debate about stay-at-home mammies, Ryan chats to Christine, a single mum of twin boys who started back at college today. Luckily, she has great parents who help her hugely. Another young mum, Catherine, is still debating whether to go back to work - she says she's feeling very isolated and lacking self-confidence.

Top-selling novelist Jackie Collins takes time out of her glamorous life to chat to Ryan about how she fulfilled a lifetime's ambition by going behind the camera to direct her first film 'Paris Connections'. Today, the writer, who has sold more than 400 million copies of her books in 40 countries, is in Glasgow to launch the new DVD, which is the first film to be produced and financed by retailer giant Tesco.

And it's been a busy week for the Nob Nation newsroom as tales of horror continue to follow from Anglo and FAS...

Having trouble passing or booking your NCT? Shay Byrne offers tips on how to make the NCT less of an inconvenience.

We heard about Damien O'Reilly's terrifying tiger kidnapping ordeal yesterday and similar stories have been flooding in since - Rhona's parent's house was broken into back in the 80's when she was 13 - according to the gardai it was the work of The General. To this day, Rhona has not slept properly - the thought of someone robbing their house while they all slept still unnerves her. Grace Waller tells Ryan about her experience of being held at gun point while holidaying in Florida. 

Ryan spoke to Veronica Maxwell, the mother of two beautiful girls, whose youngest daughter Grace attends Ireland's first fully integrated creche which opened in St. Joseph's Centre for the Visually Impaired in Drumcondra. Grace faces a decade of surgery as she has an extremely rare syndrome called Freeman-Sheldon Syndrome, more commonly known as Whistling Face Syndrome.

Remember we talked to Dave Sherry?  Well, Dave has a fear of heights and we thought we'd help him get over it by sending him to phobia expert and Psychologist Suzannah Healy.  Suzanna deals with people who have all kinds of phobias and one of the ways she does this is through visual reality therapy.  Today Dave went to her clinic in Dundrum Town Centre and experienced this therapy for himself.  He explains how he felt and what he saw going up in a virtual elevator in a very high multi-storey building.

Also in studio was Damien O Meara, giving the lowdown on the Tipperary-v-Kilkenny hurling match, which saw Tipperary winning the all-Ireland title for the first time since 2001.

We talked about Maths and it's use in the everyday world.  What is Pythagoras's theorum all about?  We weren't any the wiser when we finished talking about it but did discover that it can be used to help fix roofs.  A lot of people think that learning maths in school would be far more enjoyable if it were explained exactly why we'd need to know that:

Damien O Reilly was also in to talk about how his family were the victims of a tiger kidnapping twenty years go.  Five armed men broke into their house and they were held hostage for 5 hours.  Some of the gang of intruders went into town to rob the O Reilly's bar safe and the others stayed in the home keeping guard of Damien and his family.  Nobody was ever arrested.

Ryan also talked to some listeners who gave up work to become stay at home Mammies.  We also heard from those women who aren't in a position to give up work to look after their kids and those who love to have a bustling career. 

Science fiction has a bit of a reputation for being the sole preserve of geeks, kooks and cyber nerds but sci-fi is everywhere, in places you might not expect. Science-geek Aoife McLysaght and righteous dude Paddy Cullivan joined Ryan in studio to talk about what sci-fi has done for us!

Earlier this week we were talking about your favourite quiz shows so we thought why don't we have a crack with one of them. We went back to 1996 with Theresa Lowe and "Where in the World". Two callers compete to win a fabulous toaster!

Ryan spoke to John Whelan who would like to become the official Irish mascot for both the soccer and rugby teams. We asked for your suggestions on what kind of creature the official mascot should be and we heard from a former Ireland mascot, Macul the wolfhound. Enda Brady also gave us the lowdown on Ireland's Euro '12 qualifying fixture in Armenia.

A lot of people are not quite happy campers today after the non-performance of rock legends Guns n Roses.  With concert tickets still costing a pretty penny depsite the recession, you'd at least expect to get value for your money.  Instead what thousands of people got last night was a very long wait and a strop from frontman Axl Rose.  5 songs later he was off the stage and people were heading home.  Ryan talked to a couple of people who were at the gig and they tell us, accompanied by audio recorded at the gig, exactly what happened. 

Jane Ruffino and Kirstie McDermott also gave us the low down of the evolution of the high heel.  Fascinating stuff!  Shoes are a passion you either have or don't have.  Ryan also got talking to Dee who is a self-confessed shoeaholic and has an estimated 80 pairs of shoes.  All seem willing to sacrifice comfort for style.  Beauty is pain after all.

After getting in a text from a lady who couldn't decide whether or not to try for another baby in her 30's, we decided to put it out there and the postive response was amazing.  It really seems as if many are leaving parenthool until a little later in life.  Ryan spoke to a number of men and women today who decided to have or are still thinking about having babies despite being in their 30's and 40's.

Two of the team were speaking today also about an ever increasing problem in our supermarkets...being charged incorrectly.  You walk down the aisle in you local store and spot a 'Buy One Get One Free' on your favourite cheese.  You get home and a week later you find the receipt and discover that you have actually paid for both packets of cheese.  The cheese has been eaten and it's to late to take them back.  So many people get stung like this so it's always important to check your receipt before you leave the store or right away when you get home.  Discover the mistakes and take the products back otherwise the store won't know they are over-charging their customers.  Now in most stores you if there is a discrepancy in items you were charged for, you will get a full refund and the product for free so it's worth the time to check your receipt thoroughly.         

Every day we hear about it on the radio, in the papers, on the television... Anglo Irish Bank.  Three little words that nobody knows much about.  Whatever it all means, it has turned Ireland on it's head and the people are paying for it.  So to try and get to grips with the chaos surrounding Anglo Irish Bank, Ryan asked listeners to call in and try to explain, in less than a minute, in Joe-Soap terms what it all means.  Are we any the wiser?  It's debatable but at least we tried.

He also talked to JJ McDonnell, the brother, and Damien O Brien, the best friend, of Ger McDonnell, the first Irish mountaineer to reach the K2 Summit.  They tell of how Ger reached the top of the mountain and began his descent in the dark.  After spotting three people in trouble, Ger tried to help but unfortunately died along with them.

Facing fears is a daunting task, one that no doubt leaves beads of cold sweat across your brow but today Ryan talked to Dave Sherry, a guy doing just that.  Dave has a fear of heights, common enough but usually people avoid situations where they are facing their fears head on but today he decided to hop on the Dublin Wheel and see how he felt.  He found it a little more than scary and quite shaky but he'll not let his fear beat him.  Irene O Shea and Rita Mooney were also talking about their own fear of heights and they even afforded a little sympathy to Dave.