The Hard Shoulder

Northern Ireland have made the decision to ban puberty blockers indefinitely for under 18s. Is this unfair to members of the trans community, and should it looked to be reversed? Or, should we follow in Northern Ireland’s footsteps and ban it in the Republic? Joining guest host Anton Savage to discuss is Ronan Mullen, Independent Senator and Jude Copeland, LGBTQ Advocate and Activist.

All this month the Hard Shoulder is looking back on 2024’s biggest moments in the news, and who were at the heart of it. One incident was more shameful than others when anti-immigration protests at the former Crown Paint factory on Malahide Road in Coolock turned into rioting... Fianna Fáil Councilor for Artane/Whitehall, Racheal Batten joins Anton to discuss.

Over the past few months, the only time you might’ve heard about Lebanon is in relation to a breaking news story. But, Anton’s next guest was born there and has returned regularly, writing books about his travels. Joining the show to discuss is Dom Joly, the Comedian and Travel Writer.

A nightclub in the UK has raised a few eyebrows with its quirky policy on smartphone use. The Amber Nightclub in Manchester has implemented a strict rule that you must cover your phone’s camera with a sticker to enter with the idea to stop phone use and increase enjoyment and immersion in the event. Is this a good idea, and should Irish nightclubs follow suit? Guest host Anton Savage is joined by...

Paul Howard, Journalist, Author and Comedy Writer joins Jonathan Healy this week to put his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder’s Bookshelf! Favourite Book:  Trainspotting – Irving Welsh Honorable Mention: Me Cheeta: The Autobiography - James Lever Currently Reading: Our London Lives by Our London Lives by Christine Dwyer Hickey

The mother of two boys who are being held in by their father in Egypt is pleading with An Taoiseach Simon Harris to bring her case up to the Egyptian President during his state visit this week… Mother Mandy Kelly joins Jonathan Healy to discuss.

Dr Ronan Glynn, the former Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Ireland, and current Health Sector Lead at EY Ireland, was writing in the Irish times about the healthcare debates taking place across the country, and believes we are too focused on the wrong things. The problem solving within the HSE is for immediate issues, rather than long term problems… Ronan joins guest host Jonathan Healy to discuss...

 Christmas shopping is in full swing and many presents are being purchased online. So how do the parcels get to us, and what kind of pressure is on those delivering them? Newstalk reporter, Josh Crosbie has been meeting those who are sorting through the millions of packages arriving into the country.

The New Zealand government has proposed banning greyhound racing from 2026 – the reason being that the percentage of dogs injured in races remains significantly high. New Zealand's greyhound racing industry has long faced criticism for not doing enough to protect the welfare of the animals, with three reviews on the industry over the past decade all recommending major changes. Does Ireland need to...

Newly elected Social Democrats TD Eoin Hayes has confirmed this afternoon that his shares in Palantir were only sold in July of this year - contrary to what he had said in his Dublin City Council ethics disclosure… The shares were worth almost €200k. He has been suspended from the Social Democrats parliamentary party. For more on this story, guest host Jonathan Healy is joined by Craig Hughes, Pol...

Google has released their ‘Year in Search’ for 2024 – which brings together data from every user to find out what the biggest topics were on the minds of the public. Joining guest host Jonathan Healy to go through the hottest searches of the year is Joe O’Shea, Editor of Cork Beo and Esther McCarthy, Lifestyle Editor and Weekend Magazine Columnist at the Irish Examiner.

The next guest has decided to step back from politics, mere months after she was one of the front runners to be leader of the Green Party.  Pippa Hackett is Green Party Senator and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and joined Anton Savage on the Hard Shoulder...

Yesterday Syrian armed groups moved into Damascus seizing the capital and forcing Bashar al-Assad to leave for Russia.  The news was met with cheers and celebrations around the country. Irish-Syrian journalist Razan Ibraheem joined Anton Savage on the Hard Shoulder programme to give her reaction...

Just because the lights are on and the tree is up, doesn't mean fun and laughter for everyone in the audience.  So, how can we survive the celebrations if we're not feeling festive this season and how can we can mind our minds this Christmas? Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

This week Kieran Cuddihy was joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis and Saoirse Hanley, Features writer at the Independent to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joined Kieran to look at healthy meals you can have in December, before the inevitable indulgence on Christmas! Image: @aisling_larkin_ on Instagram

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has sealed a massive trade agreement with South America. The deal has been 25 years in the making and seeks to create a free-trade zone spanning more than 700 million people. It’s a deal that is opposed by France, which fears that an influx of cheap poultry and beef imports would undercut farmers. Denis Drennan, President of the Irish Creamery Mil...

Off The Ball's Ger Gilroy joined Kieran Cuddihy on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

Met Éireann have issued a red weather warning for 6 counties in the west, as Storm Darragh is set to bring stormy conditions across the country… Joining Kieran for more on this is Met Éireann Meteorologist Joanna Donnelly, Sean O’Neill Head of Communications, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, Graeme McQueen, Media Relations at DAA and Blake Boland, Spokesperson for Dublin Bus.

All this month the Hard Shoulder is looking back on 2024’s biggest moments in the news, and who were at the heart of it. You don't have to look back far to find one of the biggest stories of the year, and that was the election of the 47th President of the United States: Donald J. Trump. What led to that moment, and how has America settled into the prospect of four more years of Trump? Joining Kier...

The Irish Greens are hosting the 39th European Green Party Congress this weekend. The Green vote here was wiped this day last week, but this is a trend which is being  witnessed European wide… So what does the future hold for the Green agenda? Oisín Coughlan, Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth joins Kieran to discuss.

Up and down the country, trees and lights will be up in preparation of the biggest event (for some) of the year: The Late Late Toy Show! Do we love this institution, or is it a glorified advert? Joining Kieran to discuss are Comedians Jim Elliot and Julie Jay. And Newstalk’s Henry McKean got thoughts from the public!

For this week’s Thursday Interview, Kieran is joined by Donal O’Shea, Consultant Endocrinologist and HSE National Clinical Lead for Obesity to discuss his concerns regarding the scale of processed food we are eating, how to tackle obesity and why he chose to dedicate his career to healthcare.

Dermot Whelan, author and Host of The Mind Full Podcast is about to go on tour with his new show Busy & Wrecked. He joined Kieran to discuss how his life experience and research have led him to undergo the mission of his tour to calm the Irish people's minds! For tickets to Dermot's new show "Busy and Wrecked" visit Dermotwhelan.com

Leaving Cert students will soon be allowed to use AI. From next year, Artificial Intelligence will be allowed for certain parts of project work.  How will this work and is it a good thing?  Joining Kieran to discuss was Elaine Burke, Host of “For Tech’s Sake” and “The Connected AI” podcasts and  Dr Eamon Costello  Associate professor of digital learning at Dublin City Universit...