The Hard Shoulder

Ciara is joined by Dr Rangan Chatterjee, GP, podcaster and author to discuss his upcoming show at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre: The Thrive Tour!

Life can be full of confusing things, but no need to worry! Every Wednesday, Simon Tierney will be showing you ‘How to do Stuff’ - bringing his best tips for those things you might not think about. This week, Simon joins Ciara and Shane to discuss how to get winter ready!

Following the Democratic victories in the US Midterm Elections, Newstalk Reporter Baibre Holmes joins Shane to discuss what she’s been seeing on the ground in Philadelphia from voters and in general.

"Ireland’s child protection system is a high-stakes game of Jenga", those were the words of Sinéad O'Sullivan in today's Irish Times. But, what are we seeing at a ground level in our courts as a direct result of our systems failings in child protection? Joining Ciara to discuss this is Kitty Holland, Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times.

The burger restaurant chain Bunsen has been ranked the second-best burger in the world in travel site Big 7’s list of the best burgers in the world. So, what makes a good burger? Joining Shane to discuss is multi-award-winning Food and Drinks Journalist and member of the Food Writers Guild, Shamim de Brún… Image: Bunsen

Off The Ball’s John Duggan joined Ciara and Shane on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the week’s action…

Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, has said it has opened an investigation into the gun holster belonging to Detective Garda Colm Horkan. Horkan was murdered in Castlerea in Co Roscommon in June 2020, when Stephen Silver took his gun from his holster and shot him multiple times. Mick Clifford, Special Correspondent with The Irish Examiner joins Ciara to discuss…

Shane is joined by Mick Mulvaney, former Chief of Staff for President Donald Trump to discuss the decisive Democrat victories across the country last night…

Columnist at The Journal, Kelly Earley, wrote this week that Instant messaging has become the single use plastic of communication... So, why does replying to messages and group chats now feel like a full time job? The co-host of the ‘For Tech's Sake’ podcast joins Ciara to discuss!

RTÉ appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Media this afternoon following the Government's decision to withhold funding from the broadcaster. Joining Shane to discuss this and questions around the hiring of Ger Gilroy as a Sports Broadcaster is committee member Joanna Byrne, Sinn Féin TD and party Spokesperson on Media, Communications, and Sport.

The Democrats have won a majority in both the US Senate and House of Representatives in the US Midterm Elections, and will now take control of Congress for the rest of Donald Trump's presidency. Joining Ciara to break down the results is North America Correspondent for BBC News, Anthony Zurcher to give us the rundown on the elections...

Dublin is facing four days of major disruption next week as around 50 European leaders arrive in the capital for two major summits. Newstalk’s Chief Reporter Barry Whyte has been investigating this, and joins Shane to discuss what people can expect if they’re planning to travel into the capital.

Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, Fionn Davenport takes a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world. This week, Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to give his ultimate guide on how you can explore Morocco by train!

Today, Dublin Bus launched a new free schools programme, promoting kindness and respect, with footballers from Bohemians Football Club and children from St Finbarr's in Cabra. They want all Dublin schools to take part; teaching the importance of using the bus and public transport in a respectful manner through fun and interactive classroom sessions. Henry McKean reports.

An Post has recorded a record number of animal attacks on An Post workers has risen by 19%, with 118 incid­ents recor­ded so far in 2026, com­pared with 99 dur­ing the same period last year… Joining Ciara to discuss what to look out for when getting a dog and watching its temperament is Director of the Irish Blue Cross, Vet and Expert in Animal Behaviour, Dr Claire Corrigan.

The high stakes US Midterm elections are currently underway today as the country decides who takes control of the government. Newstalk Reporter Baibre Holmes is in the town of Bristol in Bucks County, north of Philadelphia. This is Pennsylvania's First Congressional District, where the Democrats are hoping to clinch this key seat for the House of Representatives. She joins Shane to discuss the cam...

Colm O'Regan, Comedian, author and Broadcaster joins Ciara to discuss his new book 'Tipping Away' and place his favourite reads on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

The High Court has found that the changes to the legal aid system are “grossly unfair”. The new regulations involve providing solicitors a flat fee of €520 for each accused person they represent, regardless of the number of charges against them or the number of court appearances. For more on this, Shane is joined by Irish Times Legal Affairs Correspondent, Mary Carolan...

The US midterm elections are currently ongoing as the polls are open. What do we know so far, and who are we expecting to win and lose? Joining Ciara to discuss and give the latest updates is Niall Stanage, White House Columnist at The Hill, Matt Mayer, former Senior Official in the Bush administration & Political Commentator and Brett Bruen, White House Advisor during the Obama administration...

John Lewis released their 2026 Christmas advert today, but what makes a Christmas ad great and how has the criteria for a great ad changed in the age of AI? Joining Shane to discuss this is John Fardy, Presenter of Screentime on Newstalk.

Women farmers are challenging an Agri system that was built on growth and control, forging a more resilient future for Irish farming. So writes former Green Party Minister of State in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Dr Pippa Hackett in The Journal. But, is this true? Dr Pippa Hackett joins Shane to discuss.

The funeral for Irish champion athlete Ciara Mageean took place today in St Patrick’s Church in County Down, with hundreds of mourners gathering to pay their respects… Barry Whyte, Newstalk's Chief Reporter, is there, and joins Ciara Kelly to discuss.

Several flights across Europe have been forced to emergency land after receiving a series of bomb threats. So far, 7 planes have been affected in the last 24 hours. A Ryanair flight from Dublin was escorted by the Italian Air Force until it landed in Rome. For the latest, Shane is joined by Aviation and Travel Journalist. Eoghan Corry…

The Simon Communities of Ireland’s quarterly ‘Locked Out of the Market’ report, shows that just 12 properties were available to rent within any of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme limits in September… Joining Ciara for more on this is Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, Ber Grogan.

Newstalk's Chief Reporter Barry Whyte joined us on the show to discuss the Covid-19 evaluation.