The Hard Shoulder

Over the last day the fighting between Iran and the US has reached its highest peak since July with both sides heavily striking. Iran has accused the US of hitting a wedding party with one of these strikes, calling it a 'war crime' and retaliating with their own strikes on US bases. Ciara is joined by former Fighter Pilot, Military Analyst and Co-Founder of Red Matrix productions, Sean Bell for th...

Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has said she believes that "in the future we will have a border poll" at the 2nd day of EU Defence Ministers meeting at Druid's Glen in County Wicklow. Joining Shane to discuss this is Bertie Ahern, former Taoiseach.

If you’re trying to save at the moment, but still want to stay fit, what is the best way to effectively spend on your health if you still want to go to the gym? Newstalk’s Meghan O’Halloran has been investigating, and joins Ciara to discuss!

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, joins Shane to discuss digital media ownership, and what your rights are as a consumer versus physical media ownership.

A new report from the UN Environmental Programme has found that temperatures are on course to rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in the next few years. In fact, the most optimistic estimate in the report sets the temperature rise to 1.8 degrees Celsius… Meanwhile in April this year, the Government pushed carbon tax increases back to October, and there have been hints it cou...

Ireland is the only country in the EU in which you can become a citizen without speaking the language of that country. We obviously have two official state languages, so should aspiring citizens be tested on their ability to speak English or Irish, or indeed both? Peadar Tóibín is the Leader of Aontú and TD for Meath West, and joins Ciara to discuss.

You’ve been warned, ahead are spoilers for last night’s episode of The Traitors Ireland… Laura and Sean A, who were banished from The Traitors Ireland last night, join Ciara and Shane to discuss their experience on the show!

According to the ESRI, people who grow up in areas with better public transport learn to drive later and rely less on their cars when they get older. Newstalk’s Henry McKean went out to ask the public about their driving habits, and joining Ciara in the studio to discuss this is Brian Caulfield, Professor in the School of Engineering at Trinity College Dublin.

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 to the Italian city of Verona!

In 2006, Pluto was stripped of his planetary status, with the demotion resulting in our solar system dropping from nine planets to just eight. However, Pluto's defenders have held their own over the past two decades. So, the real question is: was demoting Pluto for being too small really a big mistake? Leo Enright, Space Commentator, joins Ciara to settle the debate...

From today, a new pilot scheme called the ‘Health Referral Scheme’ will allow first time offenders found to be in possession of drugs for personal use to be referred to the HSE by Gardaí. The Department of Health said the scheme, which came into effect at midnight today, is intended to “encourage early engagement with services, provide practical advice and reduce the potential long-term impact of...

Nepali rescuers have built temporary bridges to reach remote areas and dug through the ruins of hydropower projects in the Himalayas to rescue hundreds of trapped workers, as the death toll passed 1,000 nearly ⁠a week after devastating floods left a trail of destruction across the country’s towns and valleys. Joining Ciara to discuss this further is Alisha Rahaman Sarkar, News Reporter with The In...

Illustrator and author Peter Donnelly joins Shane to place his favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

As part of their headline set at Electric Picnic on Sunday, Fontaines D.C. announced they will be the next act to play the iconic Slane castle next summer. The band has blown up in recent years with their 2024 album ‘Romance’ becoming a success, particularly in Ireland and the UK. But, given how iconic Slane is as a venue and the calibre of acts who have played there in the past, have Fontaines ea...

The Premier League transfer window will close on September 1st, with the deadline at the later time of 11pm. This year, the spending this summer is on course to beat last year's record of £3.14billion (€3.66 billion). Joining Shane for more on this is Kieran Maguire, Football Finance Lecturer at the University of Liverpool.

After resigning as Prime Minister and leaving Downing Street in July, Keir Starmer has announced that he is stepping down as an MP. His resignation means there will be another by-election in the UK, this time for his seat in London’s Holborn and St Pancras. Joining Ciara with the latest is London-based Journalist, Vincent McAviney.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said ahead of today's meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Co Wicklow that a “significant security operation” has been put in place for the Irish presidency of the Council of the European Union. For more on this, Shane is joined by Seán Defoe, Newstalk's Political Correspondent and Declan Power, Security and Defense Analyst.

According to a new survey, over half of us never have our life fully under control, with 30% feeling they are nowhere near having their life sorted. Some of the key signs that say your life is under control include knowing when bin day is, making regular savings and being able to admit when you are wrong. Henry McKean asked: is your life under control?

Insights from 20 years of the Growing Up in Ireland study conducted by the CSO have been revealed today, with some interesting findings on how early experiences and attitudes to school shape educational outcomes. Joining Shane to discuss the key findings is Katie O'Farrell, Senior CSO Statistician.

(Spoilers ahead for the latest season of The Traitors Ireland!) The first two contestants to be eliminated from the new season of The Traitors Ireland, Edelle and Emma, join Ciara to discuss their whole experience on the show.

The 2025 National Pollution monitoring system has found some improvement after fines on littering were increased, but are fees really the answer to solve the problem entirely? Joining Shane to discuss is Hazel Chu, Green Party Councilor with Dublin City Council and Colin O'Bryne, Programme Coordinator at VOICE Ireland.

The Government cannot accelerate Ireland’s infrastructure pipeline through increased investment alone. This is according to the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI), which is calling for action in Budget 2027 to address the procurement, contractual and capacity constraints currently slowing delivery. Joining Ciara to discuss this further is Shane Dempsey, Director General of the A...

Public service workers in one of the country's largest unions, SIPTU, have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action, up to and including strike action. 98% of SIPTU members who voted were in favour of industrial action. The union says it's over the Government's failure to make serious proposals after the previous public sector pay agreement expired in June. Joining Shane to discuss this...

Shane is joined by journalist and author Paul Howard, best known for the No. 1 bestselling Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series to discuss his new standalone novel, ‘A Nation Once Again’, which is out now!

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Shane and Ciara are joined by Paul Kealy, Managing Director of Tony Kealy’s, to discuss all things car seats, including how to pick the right one, and how to install it properly.