The Hard Shoulder

New research from Durham University has found that women tend to prefer men with a moderate-pitched voice of around 95Hz, with voices similar to the former President Barack Obama, or actors such as Gerard Butler and Jason Momoa are said to hit the so-called “sweet spot” when it comes to attractiveness. But, what is it about the way we speak that makes one accent more appealing than another? Joinin...

Child trafficking remains significantly under-identified in Ireland, with the number of children formally identified as victims remaining extremely low, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has warned. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Liam Herrick, Chief Commissioner of the the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

Spoilers ahead for the finale of The Traitors Ireland season two! Ciara is joined by the winners of this season, Anna and Diego, to discuss the result and their experience on the show.

An Oireachtas committee on transport has heard that technology aimed to curb those who drive the wrong way down the road could be 15 years away. It also heard from RSA Chief Executive Sam Waide, who said the number of people killed in crashes had risen by 13% this year compared to the same period last year. For more on this, Ciara is joined by the committee's Chair, Fine Gael’s Micheal Murphy.

Half of Ireland’s large employers are asking employees to attend the office for a fixed number of days by next year, as companies move away from flexibility towards a more structured hybrid working model. To discuss further, Ciara is joined by Henry McKean.

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 Salzburg in Austria!

Fianna Fáil will table a motion this evening that will ban sale of vapes and cigarettes to anyone born after 2009. The bill follows moves made by the UK back in April, but will the ban work and bring about lasting change? Joining Ciara to discuss this is Dr Emmet O’Brien, Chair of ASH Ireland, Council of the Irish Heart Foundation and Respiratory Consultant at Beaumont Hospital.

In New York today, nearly 130 heads of state and government, and other high-level representatives are to meet with their counterparts and address the UN General Assembly with their national statements over the next three days. Elsewhere, EU countries resumed their scramble for an agreement on prolonging sanctions on Russia. Joining Shane for the latest on both is Anthony Zurcher, BBC News North Am...

Adam Harris, Founder & CEO of AsIAm, Ireland's Autism Charity & incoming CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland joins Ciara to place his favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

Figures from Worldpanel by Numerator show that grocery sales were up 4.28% in the four weeks to September 6th, while grocery price inflation is up 0.41 percentage points compared with the same period last year. So, with grocery prices still high, how can you make your money go further when doing your shopping? Joining Shane with some tips is Darragh Cassidy from Bonkers.ie .

GAA President Jarlath Burns has said that a meeting will be held with representatives of the Australian Football League (AFL) shortly to try and find a more agreeable protocol to GAA player recruitment by that association. But, what protocols are currently in place? And, what do the GAA want to see changed? Joining Shane to discuss is Maurice Brosnan, Senior Sportswriter with the Irish Examiner.

Removing carbon tax from home heating oil would reduce the cost of a 1,000 litre fill by €183, Sinn Féin has said. The party's Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty said the party will bring forward legislation demanding the Government takes this action. But, should it be scrapped? Joining Ciara to discuss is John Fitzgerald, Economist and former Chairman of the Climate Change Advisory Council and J...

On Friday, the topic of Gen Z being boring was discussed on the show, and got an incredible amount of reactions from listeners. Fin Walsh, Dairy farmer and TikToker gave his own take online, and joins Shane to discuss!

Research by Economist Dr Seán Fearon has estimated that data centre growth has already added approximately €715 million to household electricity bills over the past decade, with costs expected to continue rising if expansion continues in its current trajectory. Friends of the Earth Ireland has called on the Government to use Budget 2027 to reform how the costs of Ireland’s energy system are shared...

(Spoilers for last night’s episode of The Traitors Ireland ahead!) Joining Shane in the studio is Kayleigh, who was murdered by the Traitors and Pete, who was banished at last night’s round table to discuss their experience and look ahead to the finale of this season!

Research out today has found that almost seven in ten young adults in Ireland are considering leaving the country for a better quality of life… Newstalk Reporter Baibre Holmes is one of those who has left the country in the past, and has been hearing from people for their thoughts. She joins Ciara to discuss.

New NTA report shows more people than ever before getting out of their cars and using public transport, with last year having the fewest number of cars ever entering Dublin city outside of the Covid years. This has led many campaigners to urge the Government to reconsider the fare hike, arguing that Dublin will become more congested under these changes.   Lochlann Gallagher, Public Relat...

Media outlets in the US have notified the Trump Administration that they intend to sue over a ban preventing their reporters from accessing the White House grounds.  CNN, Politico and MS NOW were barred from the White House on Friday after President Donald Trump accused the outlets of repeatedly reporting what he described as “fake news.”  White House columnist with The Hill, Niall Stana...

The British Government have announced that they’re introducing new specialist courts for rape cases to try “rebalance the scales of justice and put victims first.” The new plans will see court staff get special training, victims having a direct point-of-contact with the court, and a fixed trial date rather than it being placed on a rolling list. Rachel Morrogh, the CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Ce...

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Shane was joined by Clinical Psychologist, Dr Anne Keogh to discuss what to do if your child feels left out.

The Taoiseach has said October’s Budget will include an increase to the Rent Tax Credit, adding that the measure, which was introduced in 2022, has been positive for renters. With an increase on the cards, will the measure work, and is it welcomed?  Conor Sheehan, Labour TD for Limerick City and the party’s spokesperson on housing. 

The awkward feeling of watching the couple who are guilty of a bit too much PDA (public displays of affection) can cause not only you to feel uncomfortable, but also resentment, but how can you address it with your loved-up friends?   Ciara was joined by Frances Kelleher, Relationship Expert and Life Coach to discuss…

Changes are on the way to the Hot School Meals Programme, with the Minister in charge, Dara Calleary has indicted that changes are needed.  It comes after two Government-commissioned reviews identified shortcomings in the programme, including concerns around nutritional standards and portion sizes.  Ray Nagle, CEO of Fresh Today and The Lunch Bag, two suppliers to the programme joined Sh...

(Spoilers for last night’s episode of The Traitors Ireland ahead! You have been warned!) Joining Ciara and Shane to discuss his experience on The Traitors is banished Faithful Ian…

More than 160 Irish athletes have signed an open letter to the Irish soccer team, calling on them to boycott the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures with Israel. With fixtures set for September 27 and October 4, which are being contested in neutral countries of Hungary and Serbia.   Former Dublin Senior Footballer Philly McMahon who signed the open letter to the Irish soccer team...