In order to look on the brighter side of things this year, Lunchtime Live host Andrea Gilligan has introduced Reasons to be Happy.
In the flood of national and international news, you might have missed some stories that will leave you feeling more optimistic.
Newstalk’s own Cathal O’Sullivan spoke to Andrea about what’s keeping him in good spirits this week, including 16-year-old dart prodigy Luke Littler.
“He's 16, born in 2007, and one win away from becoming the world champion,” he said.
“The whole country is behind him, the whole of the UK and the whole of Ireland.
“He has this air of confidence that puts a smile on your face.”
Mr Littler, who started playing darts at the tender age of three, will play against Luke Humphries tonight.
Cathal noted Mr Littler has beaten his childhood heroes one by one, leaving only one game away from a £500,000 prize.
“It’s just so exciting to see a young person doing so well,” he said.
Free contraception for women
Women aged between 17 and 31 are also happy as the expanded free contraception scheme comes into effect today.
First introduced in 2022 for women aged 17 to 25, the extension to 31-year-olds and under was introduced as part of Budget 2024.
“All you have to do is ring up your GP and see if they’re in the scheme,” Cathal said.
“I think it’s around 2,400 GPs that have signed up and just over 2,000 community pharmacies.
“[Stephen Donnelly has said] it’s all about supporting positive sexual health, family planning and empowering women.”
The average cost of a consultation to discuss contraceptives with a family planner is €60, while a follow-up appointment costs €45.
The average cost of a contraceptive pack is between €5 and €8. The EllaOne emergency contraceptive costs €60.
Murder on the Dancefloor
Another reason to be happy this week is good music – thanks to the success of black comedy Saltburn, the 2001 pop song ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ has reached the charts yet again.
“In the final scene, Barry Keoghan dances nude around the house, in the nip completely,” Cathal explained.
“The singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor is full-on for Barry and this dance.
“She had put a video online saying 'Happy New Year, Happy Saltburn'... and she’s back on the Spotify charts.”
Saltburn has also spelt success for Dublin-born Keoghan, who has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for his performance.
