The Hard Shoulder

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…

Minister Jim O’Callaghan has said that the majority of cases not proceeding in the Dublin District Court due to the legal aid dispute are rape charges, suggesting they are being “deliberately affected”. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon has described Jim O’Callaghan’s comments as a “disgrace”. For reaction to these comments, Ciara is joined by Eoin O’Sullivan, Partner at Powderly Solicitors and Rach...

"After the utter depravity of the Waterford arson murders, surely it’s time we introduced a special offence for attacks linked to recovery of drug debts". So says Journalist Paul Williams in The Irish Independent. Do we need to introduce a special offence like the one he is suggesting? Paul joins Ciara to discuss.

With the Dublin City Marathon looming over the horizon at an ever-increasing rate, Shane is joined by Newstalk's John Fardy, Presenter of Screentime and avid runner to talk through the do’s and don’ts ahead of Sunday’s spectacle!

On Instagram, Simon Harris has welcomed baby Aoileann into the world. He thanked his family and the National Maternity Hospital. He went on to say “Mothers do so much, us fathers need to be able to step up too and also to have that precious time.” Henry McKean has been out and about speaking to new dads and asking them about their paternity leave, and joins Ciara to discuss.

This week marked five years since nightclubs re-opened post Covid lockdowns after an almost 600-day closure, but how has Ireland's nightlife scene changed since then, and did it even bounce back from the Covid hangover? For more on this, Shane is joined now by Sunil Sharpe, DJ and Spokesperson and for Give Us the Night...

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has asked regional governments in France to put in place “partial curfews” in an effort to contain violent protests. Joining Shane to discuss the latest is Veteran Correspondent based in Paris, John Lichfield.

A new report by Men's Aid Ireland has found men who are victims of domestic abuse reluctant to get help due to shame and stigma around coming forward. The report also found an increase in calls about encouragement to suicide by partners… For more on this, Shane is joined by Shane Kelly, CEO of Men's Aid Ireland. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised, please contact Mens Aid Nationa...

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Shane was joined by Aoife Lee, Parent Coach of parentsupport.ie to discuss toilet training, and the tips you should know!

US President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed his ally Benjamin Netanyahu as the long-time Israeli Prime Minister struggles for an ‌edge in next week’s parliamentary election. What can we expect in next Tuesday’s elections? Joining Shane to discuss this is Mark Weiss, Irish Times Israel Correspondent.

Owners of derelict properties will be hit with a new 7% tax under plans to go before the Dáil this week. The tax will be collected by Revenue, replacing a current levy which is self-assessed and gathered by local authorities. For more on this, Shane is joined by Seamus McGrath, Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South Central & the party’s Spokesperson on Housing.

RTÉ has said it was "a mistake" that a Palestinian flag necklace was edited out of a recent episode of the property programme, ‘Cheap Irish Homes’, after the woman wearing the necklace lodged a complaint. Should we be allowed to wear what we choose, and make political statements with the clothes we wear whatever the setting? On TV, at the school gates or in workplaces? Where do you draw the line?...

The joint funeral of four members of the same family has taken place this afternoon in Waterford. Philip English, his wife Kim and their two young sons, Callum and Jayden, were killed in a suspected arson attack last week. Newstalk’s Chief Reporter was at the funeral, and joined Shane to discuss.

Whether it's a speed clean before an unannounced guest drops by, or it's using a free half an hour while your child is having a nap to get some order in your home, speed cleaning is something we are all familiar with. But is there a way to rescue a messy house in under 30 minutes? Joining Shane with the answer is cleaning expert and TikToker, Ann Russell!

Solicitors working in criminal defence have said they are withdrawing from all work from today, marking an escalation of their dispute with the Justice Minister over a new payment scheme for criminal legal aid. One of those solicitors is Michael O’Connor, and he joins Shane to discuss…

Public sector unions have suspended strikes planned for next Wednesday following discussions with the Government. Pat Leahy, Political Editor of the Irish Times and John Boyle, General Secretary of the INTO joined Shane on the show to discuss.