The Hard Shoulder

Every week Kieran Cuddihy will be joined by writer and broadcaster, Keith Walsh and the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists...

The number of drink-driving checkpoints on the roads is at its lowest level since 2017.  An Irish Times analysis of enforcement trends foresees 150,000 drivers in total will be breathalysed by the end of this year.  That’s compared to some 314 thousand people who were tested for alcohol at roadsides in 2018.  Kieran was joined by Shane Ross, former Minister for Transport and Verona...

Today is the 100th anniversary of Disney. Henry McKean met Disney fans at Disneyland Paris and sent this report, speaking to people from around the world about their love of the Mouse House, the films, characters and theme parks...

Cian O’Carroll, solicitor who represented Vicky Phelan and several other women in the CervicalCheck scandal has criticised RTÉ and Dr Tony Holohan over untruths in an interview done with the former Chief Medical Officer. Kieran was joined by Cian O’Carroll to discuss... 

Leaflets about sex education which have recently been distributed in Dublin have included misleading claims about changes to the Social, Personal and Health Education curriculum.  The leaflets make a number of claims about the curriculum, which is in the process of being updated by the Government.  Siobhan O’Higgins, co-lead on the national Active consent programme, and research fellow i...

Kieran was joined on The Hard Shoulder by Denis Hickie, Former Irish rugby International and Mike Prendergast, Munster Rugby coach to preview tomorrow’s World Cup Quarter Final showdown with the All Blacks...

Hamas say that Palestinians will not adhere to an Israeli warning for 1.1 million people to flee from Gaza.  It comes as Israel looks set to begin a ground offensive in the region.  Yesterday, the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken reiterated his country’s support for Israel during a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu  Niall Stanage, White House Columnist for The Hill...

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joined Kieran today to chat through the most delicious ways to cook broccoli...

In Austria, The ‘Beer Party’, founded by Marco Pogo in 2015 initially as a joke, is now polling at 12 per cent ahead of the Vienna state election. It comes after they promised voters a beer fountain in the capital city Vienna, and an allocation of one barrel of beer per household per month.  Kieran was joined by the party’s leader, Marco Pogo...

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...

As the country holds its breath ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup Quarter Final showdown with the All Blacks - Henry McKean joined Kieran LIVE from Paris after he met with fans around the French capital…

It was announced today that the age limit to become a Garda has increased from 35 to 50.  Justice Minister Helen McEntee said earlier today that every new member would be helped as much as possible to get the training and expertise required.  Kieran was joined by former Assistant Garda Commissioner John O’Driscoll and David Nolan, who is assistant professor of Sport and Exercise Science...

Apparently the Gen Z age group hate answering phone calls. This is according to new study by Sky Mobile that found people between 17-25 years old would much rather communicate through apps like Snapchat or WhatsApp then call, with a third of surveyed finding phone calls awkward.    Kieran was joined by Alex Rowley Newstalks Own Gen Z-er, Erin Lally, Influencer and Eimear Neville, St...

The Focus Ireland Shine A Light annual sleepout will take place tomorrow night.  The annual event will see companies across the country sleep out all to raise funds for homeless services for Focus Ireland.  Kieran was joined by Kelly Ann Byrne, a lived experience Ambassador Focus Ireland and Susan Whyte, Director of Customer Operations at Bord Gais Energy to discuss.. Shine A Light 2023...

RTÉ executives, including Director General Kevin Bakhurst, have once again appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this morning. Kieran Cuddihy was joined by Dr Finola Doyle O'Neill, Broadcast and Legal Historian at the School of History, UCC and a former member of the Future of Media Commission and Trevor Keegan, Chair of the RTE sub branch of the NUJ to discuss...

Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris joined Kieran Cuddihy on Thursday's edition of The Hard Shoulder to speak about college fee reductions, RTE and Metrolink.

Frasier, one of the longest running US sitcoms has been rebooted and the new season airs on Paramount+ in the US today.  Some early reports have hailed Kelsey Grammer’s "faultless performance". While the Rolling Stone called it an "unfunny, uninspired dud".   Comedian Jim Elliot joined Kieran Cuddihy to discuss…

RTÉ executives, including Director General Kevin Bakhurst, have once again appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) this morning. Kieran was joined by Brian Stanley, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee and Sinn Fein TD for Laois-Offaly…

The Israeli government have warned that they will continue deny water, electricity and fuel to Gaza until Israeli Hostages have been released.    Kieran was joined by Daniel Levy, President of the US/Middle East Project and a Former Israeli Peace Negotiator to discuss...

Meteorologist Joanna Donnelly joined Kieran Cuddihy to discuss her new book 'From Malin Head to Mizen Head: A Journey Around the Sea Area Forecast’...

Every week for Tuesday Travel 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 Kieran to give him tips for a trip to Amsterdam...

Healthcare spending of €22.5bn announced in Budget 2024 was announced yesterday, and it was roundly criticised as insufficient to meet rising demand in the sector.  The budget has been the focus of contention with the HSE, already estimating a shortfall of up to €1.1bn in this year’s spending.  Kieran was joined by Matthew Sadlier, who is chair of the IMO’s Consultants Committee and Bria...

Newstalk's own, Simon Tierney joined Kieran Cuddihy for the series 'The Shopping Trolley Hotline'. The series will give listeners pause when they’re filling their trolleys, to consider their options. This week Simon and Kieran take a look a some of the options for honey on the shelves...

Israel has kept on the offensive against Hamas targets in Gaza, where entire districts lie in rubble.  It’s as Israeli forces find more victims five days after the Islamist militants' onslaught on its southern towns.  Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke to Pat Kenny this morning, and explained that while Israel has a right to defend itself, he is concerned about how far things might go.  T...

RSV season is upon us, RSV season. It is a virus that can affect us all but which can be very serious in infants under two years, in particular.  Broadcaster, podcaster and mother Sile Seoige and Dr Máire Finn, who is a GP at Ennis Centric Health joined Kieran Cuddihy to discuss...