The Hard Shoulder

This week, Ciara and Shane were joined by Off the Ball’s Cameron Hill and Freelance Journalist Niamh O’Reilly, to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists... 

Special Olympics Collection Day, creates life-changing opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities Over a thousand athletes took part in the Ireland Summer Games in June. Newstalk Reporter Henry McKean went out and met athletes and bucket collectors on the street.

Russia is holding its first parliamentary elections since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago.  They come after plummeting approval ratings for Vladimir Putin, mounting casualties on the front lines, and very little territorial gain in their war.  Shane and Ciara were joined by Defence Expert at the University of Bath and former NATO analyst Patrick Bury.  

Tighter citizenship rules may come into effect before the year's end, according to Minister of State with responsibility for Migration, Colm Brophy.   So how do Ireland's newest citizens feel about the incoming legislation?  Newstalk’s Sarah Madden reports.  

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

Taoiseach Micheál Martin met with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham in Manchester where the pair discussed ties between the UK and the European Union.  The Taoiseach was the first first world leader to be hosted at Number 10 North. Journalist and Broadcaster Vincent McAvinney joined Ciara to discuss the meeting.

Plans for data centre in Killala Co Mayo have been overturned by An Coimisiún Pleanála.   This decision was made partly because the operator was found to have failed to show there is “existing capacity” in the electricity grid to handle the added pressure of the system.    Colin Doyle is a Retired Scientist, and he lodged the appeal about the data centre, he joined Shane t...

From the death of the casual weeknight drinks to ditching the club for a run club are people in their 20s taking themselves too seriously?     Ciara and Shane were joined by Newstalk's own, Meghan O' Halloran and Freelance Journalist, Édaein O’Connell, to see if there is any craic left in Gen Z.  

Patrick Clancy will give his first television interview following the mistrial of his former wife, Lindsay Clancy, in the deaths of their three children on CBS's 60 minutes.  CBS have said that in the interview Patrick speaks of his grief, memories of his three children and the unsupported conspiracy theories that spread online after Lindsay’s trial.   Sky News US Correspondent...

More than half of Irish employees say hitting workplace targets takes priority over their wellbeing.   The findings come from Vhi’s latest Workplace Health Insights research, Making Wellbeing Work.  But do people sacrifice their wellbeing for their workplace? Ciara and Shane were joined by Louisa Meehan from Woodview HRM - HR and Dispute Resolution expert to discuss. 

If you want to see Oasis at Slane next summer, you are looking at spending a serious amount of money for the ticket, with prices ranging from €181.25 to €501.25 for the much-anticipated Slane gigs, which go on sale next week. Oasis are certainly not alone, concert ticket prices have been rising quite rapidly in recent times, with fans increasingly questioning why it costs so much to see the bigges...

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and John Fardy, Presenter of Screentime on Newstalk joined Ciara and Shane to review the latest TV and movie releases…

Europe is bracing itself for one of its worst ever potato harvests ever, with the price expected to rise and the size decreasing due to extreme heat experienced this summer… Joining Shane to discuss this is Mick Kelly, Founder of GIY.

Two people who handled protected disclosures made by Garda whistleblowers have themselves blown the whistle, alleging that reforms introduced to protect those who speak out have been undermined by senior management… The issue was raised again today during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil to which Labour TD Alan Kelly accused Minister Helen McEntee of either "incompetence or a mistake" in her handlin...

The number of office workers bringing their own lunch is surging. Recent research found that around three quarters of those surveyed believe that buying lunch around their office has become too costly, and that bringing their lunch from home helps them to keep a handle on their finances. So, how can we improve our packed lunches? Joining Ciara to discuss is Chef Neven Maguire...

Poland temporarily halted flights at two airports due to Russian attacks on Ukraine. It comes after NATO was warned it's "not ready" to repel air attacks. Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised a US bill to toughen up sanctions on Russia. For more on this, Shane is joined by Duncan Bullivant, CEO of the Henderson Risk Assessment Group…

A new study in Sweden has found that using a trial of AI-powered breast cancer screening helped increase detection without increasing false positives. The study, which was done over two years also found that it found workload by 44% by handling initial screening. To discuss this and more, Ciara is joined by Dr Brendan O’Shea, GP and Senior Clinician Lecturer at Trinity College Dublin.

The political world was shocked yesterday when details emerged of an assault on Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae. He was assaulted on Cork Street Dublin while travelling home to Kerry, and was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital for medical attention. A man has since been arrested on suspicion of carrying out the attack, which has reignited concerns around the safety of politicians and the growing issue of v...

When the temperature falls, do you notice your appetite go up? Research shows that people consume more calories in the autumn and winter seasons compared to the rest of the year. So, why is this, and what foods help with your immunity in the colder months? Joining Shane to discuss is Sarah Keogh, Dietician and Founder of Eatwell.

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 breakfast in bed!

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, joins Ciara to discuss the new EU proposal for an outright ban on those under 13, with additional restrictions for older teenagers.

Whether it’s opting for runners or flats over heels for a night out and jeans and a t-shirt replacing the traditional suit in the office: have we lost our way when it comes to fashion and ‘dressing up’? Joining Shane to discuss is Terry Prone, Chairman of the communications clinic and Laura Mullet, fashion expert and Journalist.

The Irish College of GP’s has said the man­dat­ory three-day wait to access abor­tion ser­vices is hav­ing a dis­pro­por­tion­ate impact on women and girls facing other obstacles to health­care such as poverty, dis­ab­il­ity and gender-based viol­ence. The College told the Oireachtas Committee on Health that it is imperative that the proposed amendment to the law supports the importance of a refle...

(Spoilers ahead for last night’s episode of The Traitors Ireland!) Joining Ciara and Shane in studio today is Janet, who was murdered in plain sight and DJ, who was banished from the round table in last night’s episode of The Traitors…

It is understood the Metrolink project could cost between €14.5 billion and €17.5 billion in total, significantly more than the initial midpoint estimate of €9.5 billion that’s according to the latest cost estimate considered by the Government today. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Lorcan O'Connor, CEO of TII.