The Hard Shoulder

Former World Snooker Champion Ken Doherty has announced his retirement. He joins Shane to discuss…

Stephen McCullagh has been sentenced to at least 31 years for murdering his pregnant partner Natalie McNally, Belfast Crown Court has heard. Joining Ciara to get some background to this case and explain the significance of this sentence is Alison Morris, Crime Correspondent with the Belfast Telegraph.

AI apps such as ChatGPT can allow people to re-imagine a new kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom and share these designs with their designer, architect, and builder, or better yet - build it themselves! Is it good to use AI to renovate your home by yourself, or should we leave it to the professionals? Joining Shane and Ciara to discuss is Peter Finn AKA ‘Pete the Builder’.

Minister of Education Hildegarde Naughton has today announced a new plan aimed at Special Needs Assistants, or SNAs, regarding a redeployment scheme, job security, and job professionalisation. This follows backlash in February when the Department initially tried to implement a redeployment scheme. Joining Ciara to give his reaction is trade union Forsa’s Head of Education, Andy Pike.

The EU has just announced that single-use sauce sachets like you would find in restaurants are to be banned from mid-August, leading to communal sauce bottles being used. But, what might this mean in terms of the spreading of germs? Joining Shane to discuss is Dr Orla Cahill, a Lecturer in Microbiology and Allergen Management at TU Dublin.

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 Shane to give the ultimate guide to the city of Melilla, a Spanish city on the north coast of Africa.

The world must prepare for the imminent return of El Niño and the supercharged weather extremes it brings, that is according to the United Nations. For more on this Shane is joined by Dr. Darren Clarke, Assistant Professor in Climate in DCU.

The new HSE protocol hopes to tackle long waiting lists for Assessments of Need (AON) for autistic people. However, The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland has “several significant concerns” and will not endorse the new protocol in place. Joining Shane to discuss this is Dr Patricia Byrne from the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.

Newstalk Presenter Claire Byrne joins Shane to place her favourite book on The Hard Shoulder’s bookshelf!

As the Leaving Cert begins tomorrow with English Paper 1 in the morning and Home Economics in the afternoon, we wanted to have a little chat about how students who may feel they aren’t prepared enough can spend this evening and tomorrow morning. Joining Shane to give some last-minute tips is TJ Hegarty, Founder of BreakThroughMaths online tutoring, and Aoife O’Driscoll, an English teacher in Cork...

Labour MEP for Dublin Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has said that the fatal assault in Dublin City Centre at the weekend is further “evidence of the decline of the capital, and that the government is not taking the crisis seriously enough”. Aodhán was speaking following the death of a young man following an assault in the Grafton Street area in the early hours of Monday morning, who has been named as 21-year-...

Gambling and sport have gone hand-in-hand for many years, but now the rise of online gambling has made risking your money a simple click away… How has it impacted the sports landscape and its fans? Joining Shane to discuss is Darragh McGee, author of ‘Imitation Games’, which covers the topic.

With Love Island kicking off last night, we saw Galway GAA Player and primary teacher Sean Fitzgerald make his villa debut. But given the sometimes-risqué nature of the show, will Sean Fitzgerald make a return to primary teaching? Joining Shane for more on this story is Comedian and Social Media Influencer, Kayleigh Trappe. Image: ITV2

Recently there was an article about how much dog poo is on Irish streets, and what Dog Wardens are doing to combat it. South Dublin County Council recently increased the number of Dog Wardens from two to four, but what else is part of this role? Phillip Behan, a Dog Warden with South Dublin County Council, joins Shane to discuss.

This bank holiday weekend on our roads we saw more than 140 motorists arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as more than 3,100 speeding offences and over 340 drivers using a mobile phone or failing to wear a seatbelt. Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Fianna Fail MEP for Ireland South and member of the European Transport Committee has more ideas when it comes to road safety, incl...

As new renting rules came in during March, many people found themselves served with eviction notices. Éimhin Ward was one of them. But as he searched for a new place he was shocked by some of the prices and decided to create an online game where you guess a listings’ price.   The game has gone viral, and Éimhin joins Emmet Oliver to explain the game

The high-profile trial of Jeffrey and Eleanor Donaldson has resumed today in Newry Crown Court, after sitting in recess over the weekend. Joining Emmet Oliver to give the newest updates is Alison Morris, a crime correspondent with the Belfast Telegraph.

A new survey has shown that one in 5 Irish people will avoid travelling abroad this year. With rising prices, and rising uncertainty created by war in the Middle East, we are choosing to stay home or holiday in Ireland in bigger numbers this year  Joining Emmet Oliver to discuss some of the reasons why, and offer those of us thinking about a holiday some advice is Editor of TravelExtra.i...

Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton has said that there are no plans to open any new Irish-language primary or secondary schools until at least 2032.   There is much criticism of this move, even within government, as many communities across the country are seeking immersive Irish-medium education across the board, from early-years education right...

This week, Ciara Doherty was joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis and Entertainment Journalist Brian Lloyd to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Online shoppers across the country are going to be faced with a new customs charge from the first of July. The fee will be applied if you purchase a good worth €150 or less from outside the EU. The Revenue has also warned that a new €3 customs duty charge will apply to each individual item in a parcel bought online from non-EU countries, including the UK. For more on this, Ciara Doherty is joined...

Off The Ball’s John Duggan joined Ciara Doherty on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to weekend action...

Irish Footballer Séamus Coleman says the question of whether the Republic of Ireland should play Israel in the Nations League or not “should never have came down to the players”. Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan and Charlie McConalogue, Minister of State with special responsibility for Sport have confirmed this week that  they will not attend the Ireland v Israel match at the Aviva Stadiu...

CMAT posted on her Instagram last night that she is “deeply saddened” over body-shaming after her BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend performance. The singer says she felt “compelled to wade in and speak” after learning of abuse being directed at photos taken of her on stage. Other female singers such as Olivia Dean and Zara Larson have recently spoken out about body shaming they have received online. For mor...

In 2024, the average age of a mother giving birth was 33.3. Last year, over 40% of the patient population in the Rotunda Hospital was over 35. It’s clear that women across the country are choosing to have kids later in life. But, we also know that choosing to have a baby later can be a source of many fertility issues. Doctors and Fertility Coaches across the country are encouraging women to start...