RTÉ RTÉ Radio 1

One-Way Mission To Mars

It’s a long, long way from Clane to Mars but that is what one young man is hoping to do in 2023 as part of The Mars One project. You may remember a few weeks ago Derek spoke to Bas Lansdorp, co-founder and General Director of Mars One, a not-for-profit organisation based in Holland which aims to set up a colony on the red planet and televise them Big Brother style. They hope to land their first crew by 2023 - but there’s a catch. When you’re gone, you’re gone – you get a one way ticket and there’s no coming back! Barry Rellis, an engineer from Clane in Co Kildare, is serious about becoming a real life rocket man – and he’s Ireland’s only applicant so far for the Mars One project. He joins Derek in studio today to tell us why he wants a one-way ticket to the Red Planet!

The Pig Syndicate

We have had a lot of discussion about pigs on this show, particularly rearing urban pigs. Can it be done? What’s involved? And how will the neighbours feel? Well in Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, there is an allotment which has the first free range herd of pigs owned by a syndicate in Ireland! Brenda met Caitriona Redmond, who is Chair of the Balbriggan Community Allotment Association, to find out more...

NestWatch 2013

In our Blue Tit nestbox in Derek's garden, our female blue tit has now laid seven eggs - will there be more? And across the other side of town, in Áras an Uachtaráin, our swallow continues to build up the nest there. Plus Eric Dempsey answers one listener's question about why the Blue Tit moves her eggs so much...

Review Of Eurovision 2013

Ryan Dolan sung his heart out for Ireland, when he performed Only Love Survives in the Eurovision Song Contest Final on Saturday night. But despite his efforts, Ireland finished in last position. Ryan is in studio today, and we're also joined on the phone by his mentor Stuart O'Connor, to give us their take on the whole experience...

Louis Walsh’s New Boyband

Louis Walsh is putting together a new boyband, and he's currently holding auditions in the Button Factory venue in Dublin. Brenda Donohue went along to meet some of those auditioning - and came across one or two familiar faces!

NestWatch 2013: Blue Tits & Swallows

Niall Hatch, Development Officer with BirdWatch Ireland, brings us up to speed with the latest in the Blue Tit nest box, and we announce that the camera on the swallow nest in Áras an Uachtaráin is now streaming live! Visit rte.ie/mooney to view both webcams!

Evolution Of Deception

How has the art of lying changed? Luke McNally is a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh who published an article in 'Proceedings Of The Royal Society Of Biological Sciences', which included his theory as to how lying and deception evolved...

Birdfeeder SOS!

Mooney Goes Wild reporter Terry Flanagan visits St. Mochta's School in Clonsilla, where helps solve their birdfeeder dilemma!

Sea Monsters On The River Foyle In Derry

The author & screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce tells us about the Return of Colmcille event [part of the Derrry-Londonderry City of Culture celebrations]; the culmination of which will be a battle between Colmcille and a giant Sea Monster on the River Foyle!

Wildlife Of The Falklands

Marine Biologist Rowan Byrne is off to the Falklands; he tells us about some of the wildlife he is expecting to find there. Plus he tells us how he ended up becoming involved in the Pirates Of The Caribbean movies!!

Why We Should All Eat Insects

Arnold van Huis is co-author of a new UN report that advocates the eating of insects, saying to do so is good for your health, environmentally-friendly, and has huge potential for improving livelihoods in developing countries! He joins us from Dutch town of Wageningen to explain why...

RTÉ Goes Wild: BioBlitz, & National Biodiversity Week

All this month, RTÉ is Going Wild, and all next week is National Biodiversity Week! Our panel have a chat about some of the events that are taking place to mark both celebrations of nature...

NestWatch 2013 [Blue Tits]

Olan and the panel of Richard Collins, Eanna ni Lamhna and Terry Flanagan chat about the latest developments in our Blue Tit NestWatch, where our female has laid at least two eggs!

The Eurovision Courtesy Bus

Derek chats to Leroy Ladeji, who is driving a Eurovision courtesy bus in Malmö (Leroy is from Liverpool, but living and working in Copenhagen, as his wife is Danish)...

Mooney’s Eurovision Quiz

Three Eurovision fans, representing the UK, Spain and Greece, take on each other in a Eurovision quiz to win return flights to Ireland, and a stay at the Morgan or Beacon Hotel!

Eurovision Semi-Final Party At The George

Last night, Brenda Donohue attended a Eurovision Semi-Final party that was held at Dublin's The George Bar, and reports on what the enthusiastic and exuberant crowd there made of Ryan's performance!

Review Of First Eurovision Semi-Final

Derek looks back at the last night's Eurovision Semi-Final 1, in which Ryan Dolan qualified for Saturday's final, in the company of Paul G, Marty Whelan, Eddie Rowley, Eoin Murphy and Paddy O'Connell, whilst Katriona McFadden catches up with Ryan and his parents Josephine and Gabriel!

Preview Of First Eurovision Semi-Final contd...:

We're live from Malmö, Sweden, as Derek previews the first of the two Eurovision Semi-Finals, in the company of Ryan Dolan's crew, Linda Martin, Eddie Rowley, Karen Fricker and more! The Semi-Final is on RTÉ Two tonight, from 8pm. Good luck Ryan!!

Louis Walsh Launches New Boyband

Managerial maestro and The X Factor judge Louis Walsh is in studio to give us his opinion on Ryan Dola, Bonnie Tyler and this year's Eurovision - and to give us the lowdown on a new boyband he's putting together...

Preview Of First Eurovision Semi-Final

We're live from Malmö ahead of tomorrow's ESC first Semi-Final - Derek is joined by our EuroGuru Paul G Sheridan, Ryan Dolan, Eddie Rowley, Bonnie Tyler and more!

Insects

NestWatch 2013 Begins!

Shrikes And Unusual Ways Birds Trap And Kill Their Prey!

White Rhino Born At Dublin Zoo