The Hard Shoulder

Every week for The Ultimate Guide on The Hard Shoulder, we take a closer look at some of the fantastic destinations to visit around the world. This week, Travel Journalist Eoghan Corry joined Ciara and Shane to give his ultimate guide to the perfect city break before the end of the year!

Chupi Sweetman, Founder of the Irish heirloom jewellery company Chupi, joins Shane to place her favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

The majority of motorists underestimate the annual cost of running their car, typically by about €1,000, according to the ESRI. The research found that 72% of motorists underestimated their annual motoring costs. So, how are so many of us so wrong, and what costs are we missing? Shane O'Donghue, Editor of completecar.ie joins Ciara to discuss.

Jurors at the inquest of schoolboy Noah Donohoe have concluded that Stormont's Department for Infrastructure (DFI) “erred” in its maintenance of a culvert entrance close to where Noah was last seen alive in its inquest. The jury, who had been deliberating for more than 30 hours, were also critical of some elements of the police investigation that looked into Noah’s death, who was found dead in Bel...

The Irish Road Haulage Association have said that the Government are fooling themselves if they think that fuel prices will have fallen in advance of the November 1st deadline, when fuel supports are due to start unwinding… They have called on the Government to take action on fuel policy, arguing that the days of depending on imported fossil fuels from the Middle East are over. Joining Shane for m...

With cigarettes appearing in recent music videos, catwalk shows and Hollywood movies, it’s no wonder they’re creeping into the hands of young people. Some are even swapping out their vapes for a cigarette. So, is smoking cool again? Joining Ciara to discuss is Doctor and Irish Independent columnist Maire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh...

US rapper Macklemore has been dropped from the remaining dates of Ed Sheeran's US tour following controversy over comments he made in support of Palestine during a concert in New Jersey. Joining Shane to discuss this is Daniel Lambert, Chief Operating Officer of Bohemian’s Football Club and Journalist Ian O’Doherty.

(Spoilers for last night’s episode of The Traitors Ireland ahead! You have been warned!) Ciara and Shane are joined by murdered Faithful, Sean C and banished Faithful, Donal, to discuss their thoughts and experiences of the show!

Between 2024 and May 2026, there were 101 deaths in collisions involving a male driver aged between 16 and 25, according to the Road Safety Authority. At this year’s Ploughing Championships, the RSA are trying to get through to young people and change habits on our roads, after some recent horrific head on collisions driving down the wrong way on the motorway. To discuss further, Shane is joined b...

Comedian Rhys Darby joins Shane to discuss his upcoming appearance at the Galway Comedy Festival, which is running from October 20th to the 26th!

Last winter, five named storms hit Ireland. They included Storm Chandra, which caused widespread floods across the Southeast in January. Not only was Enniscorthy one of the towns hit hardest, it was the 16th time the Wexford town experienced flooding in the last 25 years… Newstalk Reporter Bairbre Holmes visited to hear what happened after the floodwater receded, and how the town is preparing for...

St James’s hospital in Dublin recorded almost 4,000 incidents of violence or aggression over the past three years. The data released to The Journal shows that there were more than three incidents of alleged violence or aggression every day on average over the course of 2023 to 2025… Joining Ciara for more on this is President of the Irish Medical Organisation and Consultant Professor, Matthew Sadl...

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Ciara is joined by Richard Hogan, Family Psychologist and host of The GoLoud podcast ‘They Mess You Up’ to discuss how to deal with your kids leaving the nest, whether that be for college or to live on their own, and not holding them back.

Figures published by The Central Statistics Office (CSO) have found that crime reporting has fallen from 39% in 2019 to 30% in 2025. For more on this, and why less reporting of crime is happening, Shane is joined by Trina O’Connor, Criminologist.

Oasis have today ended months of speculation with the announcement that they will return in 2027. Oasis Live ‘27 will see the band play 38 live shows, visiting Scotland, England, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, France, Italy, US with two nights in Slane Castle on September 4th and 5th. For more on this, Shane is joined by Dave Hanratty, Host of the ‘No Encore’ podcast and Audio Producer at The Irish...

The leaders of Sinn Féin, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru in Wales have declared that “Westminster’s time is coming to an end” in a joint agreement aimed at putting pressure on Downing Street to hold referendums on independence. Joining Ciara for more on this is Sinn Féin Leader in the Seanád, Conor Murphy.

Nobody likes homework, but new research has shown conclusively that it is beneficial. A study by University of Limerick academics has shown that short, regular homework assignments boost math and science performance among secondary students. Professor Dónal Palcic from UL’s Kemmy Business School was involved in the research, and joins Shane to discuss.

Thousands of students and families are back on the roads or public transport in the early hours now that the academic year is in full swing, however, parents have reported the challenge of getting their children to school due to congestion and a lack of a dedicated school bus service in some areas of Dublin. Joining me now is Maeve O’Connell, Fine Gael TD who has called for a dedicated bus plan.

(Be warned! There are spoilers ahead for last night’s episode of The Traitors Ireland.) Joining Ciara and Shane in the studio to discuss last night’s episode of The Traitors after their time in the castle has come to an end is Sam and David!

A new poll by Ipsos and the Irish Examiner has found that 89% of people surveyed believe that if a foreign national is convicted of a crime here, they should be deported. For more on the figures and what they say about our views on immigration, Ciara is joined by Deputy Political Editor at the Irish Examiner, Paul Hosford…

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...

As we have heard already throughout the show everybody knows where they were on 9/11. Former C-Suite leader in international food and beverage companies, Michael Patten is no different... Michael was working with Glanbia at the time and was due to be in the World Trade Centre on this day 25 years ago, until fate intervened. He joins Ciara to discuss what happened?

The Grand Theft Auto series is arguably the most successful games franchise of all time, both in terms of popularity and financially. With the next installment of the controversial series set for release in November, what can we expect to see? And why is there so much excitement? Joining Shane to discuss this is Film Critic Brian Lloyd and Newstalk's own Rory Galvin.

MPs have voted against an assisted dying bill for England and Wales. The legislation would have allowed terminally ill adults with six months or less to live to seek medical assistance to end their lives. For all the latest, Ciara is joined by London-based Journalist Vincent McAviney…

Gardaí have said the visit of US President Donald Trump to Ireland this weekend is one of the biggest security operations they have ever put in place. Declan Power, Security and Defence Analyst, Blake Boland, Dublin Bus Spokesperson and Graeme Mc Queen, DAA Spokesperson join Shane to discuss what Trump's visit means for you and your travel this weekend.