The Hard Shoulder

Jeremy Clarkson has admitted to finding the running of a pub relentless, but one thing he didn’t expect to contend with is the extreme amount of theft. He sheds light on these thefts, revealing that by week’s end, the pub is 400 glasses down! Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss further is Ali Dunworth, Food & Drinks Writer and author of ‘A Compendium of Irish Pints’.

You may have heard a discussion this morning on Newstalk Breakfast about biodegradable bin bags and how not all of them can be put into your compost bin, but why is this such an issue? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is the Secretary of the Irish Waste Management Association, Conor Wash and Chief Executive of Voice Ireland, Tad Kirakowski.

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and Dee Reddy, Podcaster and Cultural Commentator joined Shane to review the latest TV and movie releases…

Getting kids off games is the struggle of many parents, but if you didn’t already know, many games are made to keep them hooked… “Games are designed to offer something to capture your attention every 40 seconds. No wonder it’s a battle”, so says Breda O'Brien, Irish Times contributor, who joins Shane to discuss.

Former Mayo Footballer Pádraig O’Hora joins Shane for this week’s Thursday Interview, following his recent climb of Mount Everest!

Knee injuries among young people are on the rise as social media 'runfluencers' wheel out generic training programmes. Physiotherapists are warning that these training programmes are pushing beginners too hard… So, how do you prevent knee injuries when running? To answer this, Shane is joined by Clinical Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist and Health Contributor for the Journal.ie Stephen O...

The Irish Just Transition Commission has released a report calling on the Government to increase taxes on bigger cars like SUVs to reduce our carbon footprint, but is this a fair ask? Joining Shane to discuss is Feljin Jose, Dublin City Councillor and Green Party Spokesperson for Transport and Keith Gavin, Director of the Irish Parking Association…

Israel’s Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has said he is committed to large-scale migration of Palestinians from Gaza “at the right time and in the right manner”, as part of Israel’s long-term plans for the territory. Joining Shane to discuss this further is Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Image: Reuters

A new study published in the British Journal of Psychology suggests that learning a musical instrument could prevent “brain rot” and boost concentration in young people glued to social media... This begs the question: should we be encouraging young people to engage more with music? Joining Shane to discuss is Fiachna Ó Braonáin of The Hothouse Flowers.

Data centres across the country already account for about 20% of electricity consumption, with recent predictions that it will exceed 30% by 2030. Plus, a new report has found that ongoing limitations to building data centres are posing a "considerable risk" to Ireland's attractiveness for foreign direct investment. Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin, joins Shane to discuss.

Students and households across the country are preparing for Leaving and Junior cert exams which kick off next week, but what is the best way to approach the paper when it is put in front of you, and is it ever wise to use AI to predict what will come up on the paper? Joining Shane to give some practical advice is Aoife O'Driscoll, English teacher in Cork CBC, textbook author and webinar deliverer...

Tánaiste Simon Harris has told the Fine Gael parliamentary party that the Government is preparing the biggest overhaul of rural housing rules in two decades. The changes will allow those who have a social or economic need to live in a rural area, or those who have lived in a rural area for a defined period of time at any point in their life, have a reasonable expectation they can get planning. Joi...

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 Shane to discuss how to organise an Irish barbeque!

Mommy and baby classes are on offer in every town, village and county in the country.  But try to find a Daddy and me class and you'll turn up nought.   With more hands on Dads here than ever before, do we need more supports and services to bolster modern Irish fatherhood? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports

Social Democrats TD and Party Spokesperson for Health Pádraig Rice will introduce a bill to the Dáil tomorrow calling for advertisements on zero alcohol drinks to be banned. However, the Govt has indicated that they won’t be supporting this measure, but why not? Joining Shane to give us some insight is Pádraig Rice, and John Clendennen, the Fine Gael TD for Offaly. Guys, welcome to the show…

Bob Geldof, 51 years on from the foundation of The Boomtown Rats, joins Shane to chat ahead of his performance at the Night and Day Festival at Lough Key Forest Park.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Shane to discuss why portable chargers causing problems on planes is on the agenda this week…

A new Environmental Protection Agency report confirms Ireland is way off achieving 2030 targets for greenhouse gas emission cuts… Joining Shane to give his reaction is Roderic O’Gorman, Green Party Leader.

“People think 'Irish food culture' is hot chicken rolls and Taytos — we need to change that”. So says zero waste Chef and Writer Orla McAndrew. Is this a perception that needs to be changed, what should Irish food culture look like? Orla joins Shane to discuss.

A number of Carlow primary schools closed this morning after receiving an email threatening a potential school shooting. One local principal has since called on the Government to introduce protocols for schools on how to respond and react to incidents like this, as there are no current guidelines. Joining Shane to discuss this is Security and Defense Analyst Declan Power and Carlow TD and Minister...

Even though thunderstorms are expected in the south, most of Ireland is still enjoying glorious weather. Why does hot sunny weather cheer so many of us up? Henry Mckean spoke to Brianna Parkins in Australia, as well as experts. He sends in this report from Portmarnock Beach in Dublin!

Traffic on the M50 has increased by 10% since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new data from Transport Infrastructure Ireland. The results have been shared with TDs at an Oireachtas Committee meeting this morning. Joining Shane  for more on this is Shane O’Donoghue Editor of CompleteCar.ie and Ger Hyland, President of the Road Haulage Association.

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 Doherty to discuss food festivals around Ireland!

As retirement ages increase in Europe, Ireland looks set to follow suit. Denmark may have already legislated to raise the retirement age to 70 by 2040, but are there ways that we can financially prepare so that we don't have to work into our 70s? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Padraic Kissane, Financial Adviser.

The expression that if something is offered for free, then you are the product is often used in relation to technology companies, but new research has calculated how much companies are profiting off our data. The Web3 Foundation suggests that over €200,000 worth of personal data is collected from each European by big tech and AI companies over a lifetime, raising concerns over how our data is harv...