The Hard Shoulder

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and Film Reviewer Ken Doran joined Ciara and Seán to review the latest TV and movie releases…

Websites across the globe have gone offline over the last day following the exposure of critical vulnerabilities in PHP, a programming language that underpins much of the internet. The exposed flaw would have allowed hackers to carry out cyberattacks. OpenAI, whose AI models helped discover the vulnerabilities, has called the issue "one of the most impactful security issues in recent memory". For...

Why do we put celebrities on a pedestal? We trust their judgement from political opinions to healthcare tips minus the medical degree. We are inclined to take their word as gospel… Joining Ciara and Seán to discuss is Brendan Kelly, Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin.

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

Conor Lally, Crime and Security Correspondent with The Irish Times joins Seán Defoe with the latest on a charity at the centre of an investigation amid money-laundering allegations, following the seizure of BMWs, Louis Vuitton bags, Rolex watches…

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has taken down three online video ads related to its 'We Consent' campaign, following criticism of one ad in particular. The ad shows grandparents going to give their teenage granddaughter a hug, but before they do, the ad stops to say "Not everyone wants a hug". It has received significant backlash, with many saying it is offensive to our older population. Joining Se...

Airbnb has introduced new rules limiting what hosts can ask guests to do before checking out. From washing the dishes to stripping the beds, guests have often been left with a list of chores to complete before they can leave their rental. It raises the question: should guests be expected to clean up after themselves while also paying a cleaning fee? Joining Ciara to discuss is columnist Brenda Pow...

In some of the loneliest moments of our lives, we trust in the wisdom of a priest, born of years spent attending scenes of human devastation. So writes Kathy Sheridan in The Irish Times. But, Ireland has changed dramatically in terms of religion in the past few decades, so what is the role of a parish priest in modern Ireland? And just how important is it? Joining Ciara to discuss this is Father W...

New figures from the HSE show that more than 70,000 people did not wait, or left before completing their treatment, in emergency departments during the first seven months of this year. Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice obtained the figures, and joins Seán Defoe to discuss.

Met Éireann has issued a number of status-orange weather warnings for intense rain and wind from around 7pm Thursday evening, continuing into Friday morning. Local authorities are preparing for flooding as heavy rainfall is anticipated with Storm Austen this evening. Joining Seán Defoe to discuss this is Keith Leonard, Head of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management and Carlow W...

The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is now in its 48th year with Boney M headlining. It's 5 days of music, 500 musicians and 100,000 revellers. Henry McKean went backstage to soak up the atmosphere and sent in this report.

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 over the fear or watching horror movies!

A UN report has shown that global temperatures are set to rise far in excess of the 1.5% threshold pledged in the Paris Agreement. Emissions from oil, gas & coal rose globally again last year as countries failed to honour their commitments to reduce their use. Joining Shane to discuss this is Dr. Cara Augustenborg, Assistant Professor in Environmental Policy at UCD.

In a great piece in today's Irish Independent, Dónal Lynch explains why the ability to drink a pint of Guinness is the real Irish citizenship test! But what is it about the ‘art’ of Guinness drinking? And why do we consider it such an institution here? Joining Ciara to discuss is Dónal Lynch, Journalist with the Sunday Independent.

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…

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has begun talks with US President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff on ending the Ukraine war, a day after the US official met with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. This comes at a time when global diesel prices remain high despite Trump's deal with Russia to supply diesel to US and global markets. For more on all of this, Shane is joined by Jenny Mathers, Senio...

An investigation is under way after the bodies of a man and a woman were discovered at a house in Bray this morning. Barry Whyte, Newstalk's Chief Reporter, is at the scene and joins Ciara to discuss.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, joins Shane to discuss a new thing to be aware of on the internet: ‘AI Worms’...

The Dáil will convene today to debate legislation to amend the ‘Triple Lock’ mechanism, which has been in place for the past 65 years. Opposition parties fear it will threaten Ireland’s neutrality. So, what exactly is the ‘Triple Lock’ and how would changes affect Ireland? Joining Ciara to discuss is Conor Gallagher, Investigations Reporter at The Irish Times and author of ‘Is Ireland Neutral: The...

The public has “significant and clear distrust” of allowing the State to access private phone messages, according to a survey being published by the Irish Council of Civil Liberties. This comes amid a bid by the Justice Minister to intercept encrypted communications. Joining Shane to discuss this is Olga Cronin, Senior Policy Officer with the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Adrian Weckler, T...

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 a car-free holiday across Ireland!

‘Navigating Change and Building Momentum, Together…’ That was the theme of this year’s Credit Union Engage event, which took place at Croke Park today. For many across the country, they are seen as a cornerstone in many communities, but what does the future actually look like for credit unions? Joining Ciara in studio to discuss this is David Malone, CEO of the Irish League of Credit Unions.

Gina London, Communications Specialist, former CNN Correspondent and Sunday Independent Columnist joins Ciara to place her favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

Public sector talks entered their second day at the Workplace Relations Commission, resuming this morning, after around five hours of discussions yesterday between Government officials and union leaders. For more on this, Shane is joined now by Pat Leahy, Political Editor of The Irish Times.

Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary is facing pressure to improve food safety standards for school meals following an inspection that uncovered rodent droppings at a site operated by a provider participating in the scheme. Social Democrats Spokesperson for Education, Jen Cummins, joins Shane to discuss…