The Hard Shoulder

In recent days, female Councillors all across the country have been receiving “harassing” and “disturbing” calls of a “sexual nature” from withheld numbers. The Association of Irish Local Government has expressed “serious concern” after it was made aware of incidents of repeated calls from an individual who has subjected up to 70 female elected members to inappropriate sexual comments. Elaine Lync...

With the good weather, there’s a strong chance that every house around the country has had doors and winds open for some fresh air to cool the house down, but with that, comes the open invite for flies and moths to enter and never leave! What's the best way to get rid of them without the use of a fly swatter and protect your carpets and clothes from moths? Collie Ennis is Biodiversity Officer at T...

SIPTU say they will support workers’ boycott of Ireland’s UEFA Nations League match against Israel, and continues to call on the Government to cancel their games, but will this impact the rest of Ireland’s Nation’s League games, particularly Ireland’s home match against Austria, which takes place in between the two games between Ireland and Israel? Joining Ciara to discuss this is Greg Ennis, SIPT...

Oscar winner Glen Hansard, who found fame after starring in ‘The Commitments’ and with his band The Frames, has been killed in a motorcycle crash in County Dublin… To pay tribute to Glen, Shane and Ciara are joined by Singer Mary Coughlan, long time friend of Glen’s, Sparkie, Stuart Clarke, Deputy Editor of Hot Press Magazine and Senator Frances Black. Newstalk’s Henry McKean also went out to Ball...

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 properly say sorry!

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has promised that five city-owned grocery stores will bring down prices for shoppers. On Monday, he announced the exact discount: 30% for some basic groceries, including vegetables, meat, bread and milk. It got us thinking, should we follow New York's lead with state owned grocery stores? Joining Shane to discuss is Suzanne Rogers, from Social Justice Ireland.

An Irish author has been named alongside 12 others on the longlist for the 2026 Booker Prize for his debut novel ‘All Them Dogs’. At 28 years old, Djamel White is the youngest author in this list! He joins Shane to discuss the achievement and his novel.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Shane and Ciara to discuss Apple’s new technology leasing program…

Households will soon face higher electricity bills after the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities approved a new €41 network charge for this October. What does this mean for the consumer in the already most expensive country in Europe for electricity, and what else could we expect? Joining Ciara to discuss is Daragh Cassidy from the bill switching site Bonkers.ie …

Luke Littler is giving darts fans the chance to take him on for a life-changing £501,000 (€585,737) prize in a brand-new live Netflix event. The reigning world champion Luke Littler will face a one-off special that will see 20 amateur players go head-to-head with one of the biggest names in the sport. But the question remains: why is it that when we look at people at the pinnacle of sport, we some...

Cork City Council has been warned that "countless" people are tripping and falling on footpaths along South Mall, with many of those injured described as elderly or having mobility issues. The warning comes as new figures show the council has paid out more than €2 million in public liability claims since June of last year, with almost two-thirds of the total relating to footpaths. Joining Shane to...

Today in the Irish Times Seán Moncrieff writes about how established Dublin neighbourhoods are being hollowed out, with too much construction to deal with the housing crisis. Do people even know their neighbours these days? Henry McKean took a look at urban sprawl, and sent in this report.

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 the ultimate guide to, where else after such a great sporting story, Mayo!

Domestic abuse calls to Gardaí have soared by 45% in the past four years, with the figure on track to increase again this year. AXA Ireland has launched new financial and legal support for customers experiencing domestic abuse. The new services will provide access to initial legal guidance and an Emergency Support Payment to victims. Joining Ciara to discuss is Mick Comerford, the Direct Retail Di...

Author of ‘Buyer Beware’ Catherine Ryan Howard joins Ciara to place her favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

Ahead of All Together Now, which will take place this Bank Holiday weekend from this Thursday to Monday, many people across the country will be thinking about what to pack, but what really is essential when it comes to festival packing? Joining Shane to discuss Saoirse Hanley, Features Writer with The Irish Independent!

A new report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors in Ireland has found serious affordability challenges for couples looking to get on the property ladder. According to the research, a couple on a combined income of €113,000 who want to buy a new privately built 3-bedroom semi-detached home and who have the 10% deposit would be unable to afford to do so in the Dublin commuter belt counties… Join...

A wildfire on Slievenamon in Co Tipperary has "reduced significantly", according to Tipperary County Council announced yesterday, however firefighters are continuing to tackle a number of isolated hotspots. But, what needs to be done to prevent wildfires in Ireland in the first place? Joining Ciara to discuss is Ecologist and author, Pádraic Fogarty. Also joining me now to discuss the ongoing stru...

A new community safety model running across the country has replaced old policing committees, with 36 groups around the country and one in each local authority area. The groups meet around every three months and are made up of a large cast: local politicians, people working in the HSE and Tusla, drug addiction workers and local gardaí, all with the aim of crime prevention. Is this an effective mov...

Comedian Rosie O’Donnell recently appeared on the Seth Meyers show in the US, and she had plenty to say about the supposedly excessive drinking culture she’s encountered since she moved to Ireland… Is she right, or are we the butt of another stereotypical joke? Joining Ciara to discuss this is Aoife Carrigy cookbook author and food and wine writer.

The Hard Shoulder is broadcasting from MacHale Park ahead of a homecoming for Mayo’s historic All-Ireland win! It comes after the team ended a 75-year losing streak after beating Kerry by 1-20 to 1-17 at Croke Park on Sunday. Joining Shane across the show to discuss is: Former Mayo Footballer and 11 time all-star winner Cora Staunton Former Mayo player Austin O’Malley Publican in Castlebar Mick By...

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Ciara is joined by Ollwyn Moran, Founder of Cognikids and CogniClinic.ie to discuss the impact of screen use on developing brains.

Fans have been queuing for the last few hours to get into MacHale Park after Mayo’s monumental, curse-breaking All-Ireland win. Henry McKean has been meeting fans to get their feelings and hear how they are celebrating, and joins Ciara and Shane to discuss.

The Government has been accused of rowing back on plans for a radical overhaul of the household waste collection system. Consultants have been appointed by the Department of the Environment to look at the feasibility of a radical overhaul of the bin collections. The proposed system would give bin companies responsibility for an entire geographic area rather than competing for customers on the same...

A law student accused of transporting a bomb across Ireland has been remanded in custody with consent to bail. Isobella Perrie Sullivan was charged with possession of explosives at a special sitting of Trim District Court in Co Meath on Friday evening after a bomb was intercepted in a car near the Border in Co Monaghan. For more on this, Ciara is joined by Crime Correspondent with the Belfast Tele...