The Hard Shoulder

“Politicians like to claim the Government will step in to build and run childcare ‘where required’ – but with parents scrambling for places nationwide, that caveat is looking less like policy and more like a cop‑out.” So writes Sinead Ryan, Consumer Journalist and Presenter of the Home Show in yesterday’s Irish Independent. She joins Ciara to discuss.

Media regulator Coimisiún na Meán, has contacted TikTok to determine how it is responding to footage of joyriding and dangerous driving being posted on the social media platform. Joining Shane to discuss is Adrian Weckler, Technology Editor with The Irish Independent and Jess Kelly, Newstalk's Technology Correspondent.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met with Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's envoy and son-in-law. The meeting came a day after Kushner held rare talks with Hamas officials in Egypt as part of efforts to move forward the US President's Gaza peace plan. Journalist Borzou Daragahi joins Ciara to give the latest updates. Image: Reuters

In April, the Government reached an agreement after the fuel protests that it would slash excise duty on petrol and diesel, with the cuts to be reversed in four phases between September and October this year. The first of the cuts is set to take place on September 1st, but now there are growing fears that the cut could spark a ‘repeat of the protests’. For more on this, Shane is joined by Energy E...

The company Ornua, that is behind Kerrygold Butter, has reportedly ‘gone to war’ over US butter sales. The row comes after the company Tirlán secured a deal to sell the same Kerry Gold butter for $6 less at Costco. This deal is set to financially hit Irish dairy farmers. Joining Ciara to explain is Denis Drennan, President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association…

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Shane is joined by Bronagh Starrs, author of ‘I Can’t Go In’ to discuss how parents can navigate the challenge of school anxiety, and help their children in this situation.

Cambridge University's Chancellor has criticised the "racist feeding frenzy" around Jason Arday, who became the university's youngest black Professor when appointed in 2023, had faced weeks of media coverage over plagiarism allegations and questions about his achievements. He denied the claims. Arday was found dead at an address in Battersea, south London, on Friday. He had resigned as a Cambridge...

Anyone who drives in the wrong direction on a motorway or road is playing “Russian roulette” with people’s lives, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said. The association’s Vice-President, John Joe O’Connell, also said Gardaí need better training to deal with such incidents… Joining Ciara to discuss this is Christy Galligan, former Garda Sergeant and Police Commissioner in Donegal.

"Phoenix Park has an identity problem. The best city parks come in two modes: they either amplify the city that is there, or they turn it off completely… It is a curious third type that I label a ‘pass-through’ park, so-called given its main customer: the commuting car." So says Sinéad O'Sullivan in The Irish Times today. The Business Economist joins Ciara to discuss…

When we think about healthy eating, we often think about our heart, our weight or our energy levels. But there’s another part of our body that depends heavily on what we put on our plate: our bones! So, what should we be eating to keep them strong, and are some of us putting our bone health at risk without even realising it? Joining Shane to discuss this is Aoife Quinn, Registered Dietician.

It’s mid-august, there’s a subtle nip in the air and back to school buying is here again But should thousands of parents country wide have to fork out for a new school uniform, or are the days of itchy jumpers and falling socks better left behind us? Newstalk’s Sarah Madden joins Shane on the topic.

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out on the bodies of five teenage boys killed in a head-on collision, when their car was driven the wrong way down the M9 motorway yesterday. Several of the boys who died in the crash have strong links to Carlow town and to Athy in Kildare, while one was from Limerick. In a statement this afternoon, Tusla said its staff are working to provide supports to th...

This week, Ciara and Shane were joined by Off the Ball’s Cameron Hill and presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis, to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists...

Joining Shane to discuss the isolating experience of working for the Abu Dhabi royal family is Annette Forde…

It was the most talked about celebrity family feud of the year, but now Alison Boshoff, Daily Mail editor-at-large, writes in her newly published book 'Brand Beckham', her exhaustive account of the couple’s business dealings… She joins Shane to discuss.

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

Luigi Mangione has pleaded guilty to the two federal charges over the killing of United Healthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, which occurred in December of 2024. Joining Shane to discuss this is Harriet Alexander, Senior Features Writer with the Daily Mail, based in New York.

The average wait time for a children’s outpatient spinal appointment has decreased to 4 months since this time last year and the number of spinal surgeries carried out between January and July surpassed the number added to the wait list in the same timeframe. In a statement, CHI said it will "continue to make every effort to achieve the target of 540 procedures by the end of 2026" adding that its...

A piece today in the Irish Times by Killian Woods on Dublin's empty office spaces pointed to multinationals subletting vast amounts of unwanted space, while property firms forecast a shortage going forward, but why is this? Joining Shane to discuss is Killian Woods, Business Correspondent in the Irish Times and Robin Mandal, Architect, former President of the Royal Institute of Ireland and Chair o...

We have reached that point in the summer holidays where you may be left scrambling for a bit of inspiration on how to entertain the kids or even ways for you to spend the coming weekends… Well, on The Hard Shoulder in the coming weeks, Newstalk’s own Meghan O’Halloran will talk us through some of the best activities that you can do with the family, friends or even for a solo day out across the cou...

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign will organise a protest at the World Ultimate Club Championships for Frisbee in Limerick this Sunday, August 16, and some of the participating teams have decided to boycott due to an Israeli team's involvement. Joining Shane to discuss is Rebecca O’Keeffe, Chairperson of Irish Sport for Palestine and Stephen Jones, a frisbee player for the Ranelagh team, w...

Have you ever wondered where the best area is in your garden to plant those beautifully smelling flowers you have? Although a flower's colour, height, flowering time, and pollinator-friendliness are important, their fragrance changes the way a garden feels. Those are the words of garden designer Peter Dowdall, or you might know him as ‘the Irish garden designer’, and he joins Shane to discuss more...

The National Strategy for Women and Girls was announced by Minister for Children, Norma Foley, and aims to "level the playing field for women and girls of all ages to eliminate all forms of discrimination against them". Since its launch, it has faced much criticism for being more about warning against the tradwife movement, with some women feeling criticised for choosing to stay at home with the k...

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and Dee Reddy, podcaster and Cultural Commentator joined Ciara on The Hard Shoulder to review the latest TV and movie releases…

A street in Limerick has had a major bird poo problem in the city. So much so it has become a major tourist spot thanks to the writer, podcaster and documentary maker ‘Blindboy’ after he spoke about it in one of his podcasts last year. People from all over the world have travelled to Limericks Bedford Row since to take pictures of this street after he nicknamed the area the ‘Birdshit District’. Lo...