The Hard Shoulder

The release of the ‘Snow White’ remake has led to a seemingly commercial and definitely critical flop - with projections not looking positive when it comes to the film recouping its massive $370 million budget. How did the movie get to this stage, and what is the landscape of the movie business at the moment? Joining Kieran to discuss is Andy McCarroll, Host of the Extra Vision Podcast.

The Oxford English Dictionary has announced that multiple ‘Irishishms’ will be added to its next edition. This includes the spice bag, debs and blaa! What do you think of these additions, and what other Irish words should be included? Henry McKean has been asking the public, and joins Kieran to discuss.

The Dáil returned this afternoon after a day of chaos yesterday. Where did all of this come from, and will it eventually lead to Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy’s resignation? Kieran is joined by Daniel McConnell, Editor at the Business Post, Terry Prone, Chairman at the Communications Clinic and Niall Collins, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and  Fian...

From the roar of the crowd, smell of the pitch and getting decked out in your team’s colours – going to the football is an unmatched experience, but one aspect of the day out is going missing - and that’s the match programme. As match day programmes are beginning to disappear in UK and Irish clubs, does their absence take away from the experience? Joining Kieran to discuss is Aodhan O’Riordan, Lab...

Brace yourselves! We’re apparently in for a whole rake of price hikes coming our way over the next month. Health insurance, energy, mobile, television fees and more are all going up… Joining Kieran to discuss is Catriona Redmond, Consumer Columnist with the Irish Times...

There have been calls from Sinn Féin on the Government to release a review commissioned in 2019 on cardiac services, in hopes of improving services across the country. Sinn Féin’s Spokesperson David Cullinane believes that the report was sitting idle in the Department of Health for the last 9 months, and he joins Kieran to discuss this, and comment on the recent bit of Dáil chaos. Dr. Máire Finn,...

US President Donald Trump has pushed back at any allegation of security breaches or concerns after some of his top officials accidentally added a journalist to a group chat, on the messaging service Signal. On it, they discussed highly sensitive military information, including plans to make strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Nial Stanage, White House Columnist with American publication, The Hill, j...

The Irish College of Psychiatrists have made calls today to radically reform CAMHS (Child and Adult Mental Health Services) governance to help address vital issues in the services. Dr. Patricia Byrne, Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, and Chair of the Faculty of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the College of Psychiatrists joins Kieran to discuss. Naomi Connolly and Jenny Flahert...

Broadcaster and Presenter on Ireland AM, Elaine Crowley joins Kieran to place her favourite book on the Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

World Athletics has said that it will introduce mandatory testing for anyone entering female competitions to verify their biological sex. In doing so, they have insisted that it is necessary to protect women's sport. Is this a good move? Former Olympian Sharron Davies joins Kieran to discuss.

The long-awaited resolution of the speaking rights debate has seemingly come to a head following a passing vote on speaking rights, with 94 votes to 74. So, what happens now? Kieran is joined by Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Fein TD for Dublin Fingal West and Timmy Dooley, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine and Fianna Fáil TD for Clare to discuss.

Is going out with friends for a pint a thing of the past? Replaced by an interactive experience where you become someone else and get served by a robot barman? Henry McKean checked out the world of 'competitive socialising' and sent in this report…

Chaos erupted in the Dáil Chamber once again over speaking time. For the last 3 months, political work has seemingly stalled. This ongoing row has been in the news agenda for months and massively disrupted the government from doing their work. Finally, a vote Dáil speaking time passes - 94 votes to 74. Kieran is joined by Newstalk’s Political Correspondent, Seán Defoe, to recap what has been happe...

The environmental project, PURE (Protecting Uplands & Rural Environments), has recorded a 22% increase in illegal dumping in the Wicklow/Dublin Uplands when compared to 2023. Newstalk’s Henry McKean visited a secluded beauty spot on the Wicklow - Wexford Border, and sent in this report.

Ransom ‘79, a two-part documentary tracking veteran journalist Charlie Bird on his last investigation and quest for the truth following his diagnosis of Motor Neuron Disease in October 2022 is set to air later this month. Joining Kieran to discuss is John Kelleher, Producer of Ransom ‘79 and Journalist and Playwright Colin Murphy.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said that tens of thousands of jobs in Ireland could be at risk if US trade tariffs are introduced in early April. But, what does this mean for us, and what is the reality of these job losses? Joining Kieran to discuss is Neil McDonnell, CEO of ISME and John Fitzgerald, Adjunct Professor in Economics at Trinity College Dublin.

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Kieran is joined by Aoife Lee, Parenting Coach at ParentSupport.ie , to discuss how you can help your child navigate the tricky world of friendships in school.

The Minister for Education has warned schools that she will not hesitate to use the legislative powers to compel them to open special classes to ensure there are enough school places for children with additional needs. To discuss this, Kieran is joined by two parents who have children with special needs.

Are developers the key to solving our housing crisis, or are we simply incentivizing the wrong people? As the government looks to lower developer investment and increase borrowing to speed up apartment building, questions remain about whether this will solve the deeper issues in housing delivery. Joining Kieran to unpack this is Karl Deeter, CEO of onlineapplication.com , and Rory Hearne, Social D...

Whether it’s 75 hard, carnivore-only diets or intermittent fasting, there are a lot of health kicks that try to shave off those extra pounds and get fit. But, without so many diets and trends, what are we losing nutrition-wise when we follow these crazes? Gaye Godkin, Nutritionist, joins Kieran to discuss.

Israeli strikes have been continuing throughout the weekend in the aftermath of the collapsed ceasefire in the region, with Lebanon being hit more recently. Joining Kieran is Dr Mahmoud Abumarzouq, he is an Orthopedic Surgeon in Ireland who is originally from Rafah. Mahmoud joins Kieran to discuss his own personal losses from this conflict.

Passengers around the world had their travel plans disrupted following the fire at a substation near Heathrow Airport. Flights resumed late on Friday but it's estimated around 200,000 people were affected by the closure. Newstalk reporter met with passengers and staff at Dublin Airport.

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…

Ireland is set to clash tomorrow with the French in the first bout of the Women’s Six Nations challenge. It will be a tough challenge, but what will Ireland be hoping to achieve from this game going into the rest of the tournament? Former Irish Internationals, Alison Miller and Anna Caplice, join Kieran to discuss.

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins Kieran to talk about ‘scrappy cooking’, and how you can use those leftover bits to make a fantastic meal!