Henry McKean on the Hard Shoulder

It's been 7 years since the Garth Brooks fallout when he didn't get planning permission for 2 of his 5 gigs at Croke Park so he walked away. Is all forgiven? In Croke park Henry McKean met Garth Brooks who has sold 160 million albums with hits like Friends in Low Places and If Tomorrow Never Comes. Henry McKean got to sit down with Garth Brooks and this is what happened...

For Lotto players up and down the country it's been nearly 6 months of a rollover with the Lotto stuck on €19 million. FG Kildare North TD Bernard Durkan called for an investigation into why has there been no winner, and even said why can’t it be like Ronan Collins’s day when it was just 36 numbers, it's now 47. Henry McKean has travelled to Bettystown County Meath where people all day have been q...

Ireland’s second largest athletic club, Lusk AC, is looking for a permanent home to train. Now with 700 members they are the biggest in Dublin. At the moment they share an area called the Hub at the back of Lusk with GAA pitches, dog walkers and football, but it’s become difficult to throw a discus or javelin with the other sports taking place. A local developer is supposed to hand over a 7 acre s...

On Friday Tony Holohan announced if you are out and about meeting people you should take an antigen test twice a week. Since then Newstalk understands there has been a run on antigen tests across the country with shops and pharmacies sold out or low on stock. Henry McKean has been visiting pharmacies and asking people are they ready to take them, do they feel confident using them and should they b...

Ennis County Clare is the winner of Ireland’s Super Valu Tidiest Town 2021, beating over 800 towns and villages across Ireland. The fiercely competitive competition since 1958 is back after the pandemic. There were tears of joy, Henry McKean was there in Ennis at the Old Ground Hotel as the news broke. Big winners on the day included: Geashill, Co. Offaly awarded Ireland’s Tidiest Village. Abbeyle...

Roy Keane got into a heated argument outside Old Trafford with a fan after Manchester United went down 2 nil against Man City on Saturday. It got us talking, do Cork people have a bad temper? Henry McKean got reaction from Mayfield in Cork, where Roy Keane grew up. The report starts with a viral clip of the argument.

Writing in todays Irish Times Brianna Parkins says she doesn’t want a man to make all the money, she wants him to make dinner. Her opinion piece asks lots of questions despite women now contributing equally to the mortgage they are still doing most chores around the house. Brianna wants to send an email to all men to say the key performance indicators have changed on what makes a good husband, boy...

Yesterday Kieran Cuddihy went on a rant about the amount of people on public transport not wearing masks and how these people are not paying any attention to Tony Holohan. We got a strong reaction from you listening. We decided to send Henry McKean on a few Luas journeys to nowhere.

In this spooky Halloween special Henry McKean speaks to Dublin Fire Brigade about the challenges they face on Halloween night. Dublin City Council Waste Management clear over 500 tonnes of wood material teenagers were stashing and face abuse going about their job. Fun Place Joke shop talk about the most popular Halloween costumes this season. The kids of Holy Child Boys National School in Larkhill...

‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ by Gerry and the Pacemakers has beaten Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ to the top spot on a funeral music request chart. Henry McKean spoke to Mary Cunniffe, branch manager Massy Brothers Funeral Directors in Templeogue Village and singer and musician Simon Morgan.   Pic: Living Pat Green 94, on board her pink casket at her jazz funeral in New Orleans.

A video of a Wicklow GAA fight at the end of an Under 15 final between Carnew and Kilcoole played at Wicklow GAA Centre of Excellence in Ballinakill went viral. In the video we see teens, adult men and women, and officials brawling. Henry McKean has visited Wicklow for us. 

It's World Animal Day, the international day of action for animal rights and welfare. The DSPCA are busier than ever as people start to give up their lockdown pets. Henry McKean visited the DSPCA in the Dublin Mountains and met animals looking for a new home and sent us this report. With Suzanne McGovern from the DSPCA on World Animal Day, to find out more about the animals mentioned in that repor...

It's James Bond Week on Newstalk and to celebrate No Time to Die hitting the cinemas tonight we sent Henry McKean to stunt school. The Condren family, brothers Patrick and Joe and 20 of their relatives run Total Stunts, Ireland's longest running stunt team. They have worked with Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Henry McKean met them at Hogan's Farm Shop and Cafe near Kells County Me...

According to a new survey by Royal London 85% of Irish people would expect the average salary of a stay-at-home parent to come in at around €28,000, if they were to be paid. However, the real figure is €49,000, this is how much it would cost someone to replace the “duties” these mothers and fathers perform on a daily basis. Henry McKean has been out and about for us meeting stay at home parents in...

Today is World Alzheimer's Day, a global awareness 24 hour hours around Dementia and the stigma which still persists. Carebright in Bruff county Limerick are Ireland’s first purpose-built community for people living with dementia. Where residents are given dignity, respect and space. Henry McKean visited this afternoon and met Kevin Quaid who has Lewy Body Dementia and Ken Greaney whose dad Dave l...

The Ploughing is back but not as we know it. Instead of crowds of 250,000 the 90th National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska County Laois is limited to 1,000 people per day, because of uncertainty over Covid Restrictions.   The event has no trade exhibitions just back to basics ploughing in the fields for plough men and women. However there was a hint of glamour as Freddie Flintoff, Patr...

A newspaper column which criticised the appearance of a number of Fianna Fáil politicians has been described as 'deplorable' by a party member. Senator Erin McGreehan, who was named in the article, told Newstalk Breakfast it served no purpose but to put people down. The Irish Mail On Sunday article, was also described as "nasty" by Taoiseach Micheál Martin. Did the article over step the mark and c...

As restrictions continue to be eased today why is it that people are still using the capital as an open urinal? Does the capital smell of a dirty public toilet? Henry McKean has been out and about with Dublin City Council Waste Management washing the streets 24/7. DCC have a Night team, 2 wash teams 7 nights a week, a graffiti removal team and 400 staff keeping the city clean, they are on twitter...

Across Dublin City Centre this afternoon you’ll find Chuggers - or Charity Muggers - out on the streets Yes, ‘Direct Charity Fundraisers’ are on the public paths asking for your donations. Is the public ready for them after the Pandemic, is this a sign of a return to normality? And why do charities use them? Henry McKean has been out and about.

The Master of the Rotunda Professor Fergal Malone has said maternity restrictions will be relaxed if expecting mums and their partners get vaccinated. At the moment vaccine uptake stands at about 40%, way below the national average of 78%. Henry McKean met dads having to wait in the car and mums to-be outside the Rotunda to hear their story.

Climate change is “widespread, rapid and intensifying”, according to a major UN report. And “A Code Red for Humanity.” Sustained reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide are required urgently to limit the damage to the world. Henry McKean has been speaking to people in Portrane and Donabate about how climate change is affecting them and what they are doing about it.

Skibbereen is beginning to come to terms with Paul O'Donovan and Fintan McCarthy winning gold in the lightweight double sculls final. Henry McKean met Olympic Gold medalist Paul O'Donovan's mum Trish and Bronze Medalist Emily Hegarty's mum Mary. Henry asked does it take a village to raise Olympians?

Indoor dining is back for the first time since before Christmas. And Wet pubs can reopen their doors for the first time since March 2020. Fully vaccinated or those who have recovered from Covid in the last 6 months were allowed inside today with accompanied children. Henry McKean has visited Naas, Drogheda and Drimnagh to take in the atmosphere. Visiting the Black Forge Inn opening for the first t...

It’s a status Orange High Temperature Weather Warning for Cavan, Monaghan, South Leitrim, Roscommon and Longford. And Status Yellow for the rest of the country.  Henry McKean visited Virginia County Cavan for us find out how hot it got. 

It is estimated that there are round 15 volunteer soup runs operating throughout Dublin. Some of the groups are now being inspected by the HSE Environmental Health Service and have been found to be in breach of food safety regulations. Soup runs in Dublin have been inspected by the HSE Environmental Health Service. The volunteers say they have been found to be in breach of a number of food safety...