The Hard Shoulder

Kieran’s guest is an up and coming businessman, and just managed to bag Lord Alan Sugar’s phone number as he aims to grow his many businesses! Jordan Dargan came third in this year’s series of The Apprentice, which is now into its 19th year, and at only 22 years old was the youngest contestant on the show… He joins to discuss.

According to research from PTSB, the increasing pressure on those trying to access the housing market has led to many younger professionals opting to go towards social housing options, in hopes of gaining a home of their own. To discuss this research, Kieran is joined by Rory Hearne, Social Democrat TD and Aran McDonnacha, a young professional who applied for the social housing list.

Rory McIlroy has become the 6th golfer ever to achieve the career grand slam with his long-awaited win at the Masters. Joining Kieran to discuss this amazing moment for Irish sport is Newstalk’s Henry McKean from Rory’s hometown of Holywood and Enda McNulty, Performance Coach and CEO of McNulty Performance. Kieran also got some words from another Irish golfing legend, Padraig Harrington!

This week, Kieran Cuddihy was joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis Off the Ball’s Ger Gilroy to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

England descended on Cork to face off against Ireland in the Women’s Six Nations championship. The red roses are considered heavy favorites for the game, so what can Ireland do to overcome this challenge? Joining Kieran to discuss is Grace Davitt, former Ireland International and Philippa Tuttiett, Commentator and former Welsh player.

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins Kieran to talk about how you can make quick meals with only 5 ingredients, especially handy when you don’t want to spend too much time cooking!

Earlier in the month Carlow played host to a speed cubing event, where competitors race against the clock to solve scrambled Rubik’s cubes - with some even doing it blindfolded! One of the competitors joins Kieran to discuss: Adam Bermingham, who is the national record holder of the fastest 5x5 blindfolded Rubik’s Cube solve…

Off The Ball's Mick McCarthy joined Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action… Image: Reuters

The Government is to review the nutritional value of thousands of hot meals that are being provided to school children around the country. The meals scheme is already provided in more than 2,000 primary schools and Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary has said that will expand it by a further 713 to reach 475,000 children and 2,850 schools. The Minister joins Kieran to discuss.

From packed carriages to dirty seats, taking public transport can be a challenging experience, but it is increased by the annoyance of passengers not using headphones – which is the thoughts of Broadcaster, Writer and Guardian Columnist Adrian Chiles. He joins Kieran to discuss!

Cases of Measles are on the rise globally, and anecdotal evidence from early childhood providers here would suggest that far fewer parents are vaccinating their children. With reports of a suspected case of measles in a Dublin creche this week, creche owners are calling on the Government to offer better guidance and policy on how to deal with this… Joining Kieran to discuss is Elaine Dunne from th...

An IBEC conference heard this week how parental leave for male employees can be a career killer! A recent ESRI study showed that only half of father's avail of paternity leave, and only a quarter of men take parent’s leave compared with two-thirds of mothers. Newstalk’s Simon Tierney joins Kieran to discuss why more don’t avail of parental leave…

Keeping your room tidy and making the bed everyday are the main life skills parents want their children to learn before they move out of home. Half of parents say putting away and hanging up clothes, being able to do a grocery shop on a budget, and starting a savings account are the next most important life lessons. Henry McKean has been out investigating, and joins Kieran to discuss.

A new campaign by FraudSMART has revealed that €17 million has been lost by SMEs through email-related scams in the last two years. And in a world of tariffs, where businesses are more aware than ever of their bottom line, what impact does this have? Tommy Bowe, former Irish rugby international and entrepreneur and Niamh Davenport, Head of Financial Crime at FraudSMART join guest host Emmet Oliver...

61,000 students will sit the Leaving Cert this year, but there are concerns that the class of 2025 will be at a disadvantage when it comes to the CAO process. This is because around 15,000 students from the previous three years will also apply to the CAO, and these students will have benefitted from the grade inflation introduced during Covid. Among those expressing concern is Social Democrats TD...

Mark Mellett, former Head of the Defence Forces joins guest host Emmet Oliver for this week’s Thursday Interview!

The warm weather has the Irish rocking their summer wardrobes from sunny shades to the cool shorts, with many making the journey to the office in such attire, but is that appropriate for the workplace? Laura Jordan, Image Consultant from Stylesavvy.ie and Cathal O’Sullivan, from 98fm join guest host Emmet Oliver to discuss.

US President Donald Trump's sudden decision to pause most of the hefty duties he had just imposed on dozens of countries has brought some relief to the global markets, and indeed, some European leaders. The only exception? China, where Trump is ratcheting tariffs up even further. So what might China do? Could they retaliate? Kiri Paramore is Professor of Asian Studies at UCC, and joins guest host...

Over half of Irish motorists witness road rage at least monthly, new research suggests. Aviva’s new survey says road rage is on the rise, but why is this, and how can we combat the rage within us? Joining guest host Emmet Oliver to discuss is Geraldine Herbert, Motoring Editor and Columnist with the Sunday Independent and Peter Devers, Psychotherapist at Knock Counselling Centre and Director of th...

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 Kieran to discuss how you thank someone properly!

Last week, Minister for Children Norma Foley announced that the wait for monthly €200 childcare costs might be much longer than originally anticipated, as other changes in the system need to be addressed first. It begs the question, is the sector viable? Joining Kieran to discuss the Minister’s statement is Karen Clince, CEO & Founder of Tigers Childcare and Mark Wall, Labour Spokesperson on S...

Postcards made by big name artists and celebrities will go on sale this weekend in aid of Jack & Jill for their annual ‘Incognito Art’ sale. One of those involved, Irish Fashion Designer Dr Don O’Neill, joins Kieran to discuss!

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly joined Kieran to discuss a conference hosted by the Children's Rights Alliance that gave deep analysis on what protections are in place for children and young people on the internet and what more needs to be done, including areas that need urgent action.

Tánaiste Simon Harris is meeting with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnik to discuss all things tariffs, as President Trump’s economic plan is fully in swing. One other political plan of the US President is the issue of Greenland and its security. Carla Sands, Vice Chair for the Center for Energy & Environment at American First Policy Institute and former US Ambassador to Denmark and Greenland...

You should never judge someone until you walk a mile in their shoes, but apparently you can judge them on the type of shoes they walk in! According to a survey by Deichmann, our choice in footwear says a lot about us. Laura Mullet, Stylist and Journalist and Frances Kelleher, Life Coach and Dating Expert join Kieran to discuss.