The Hard Shoulder

US President Donald Trump has posted that Lebanon and Israel have agreed to a ten day ceasefire, to commence at 10pm Irish time this evening. Raya Jalabi is the Middle East Correspondent for the Financial Times, and joins Ciara to discuss. Image: Reuters

Today, a group of European leaders, including An Taoiseach Micheál Martin, held a remote conference on the potential of EU-wide action to implement a ban on social media for under sixteens. Australia became the first country to implement such a ban last December, but when it comes to regulating social media for young people - are bans truly the best way to go? Dr Sinan Aşçı is a Post Doctoral Rese...

Figures obtained by Irish Country Living show more than €4 million of taxpayer money was spent on cleaning up rural areas in 2025… For more on this, Ciara is joined by John Fleming, Fianna Fáil Councillor for Wexford  and Hannah Quinn Mulligan, Journalist & Farmer.

We all know that our computers and phones are vulnerable to hacking, but as they have got increasingly advanced, it is now quite common for our cars to be subject to cyber attacks… Joining Shane to explain how we can protect ourselves and why criminals may want to hack our vehicles is Geraldine Herbert, Motoring Editor and Columnist with the Sunday Independent.

A very rare shark that washed up on a beach in Co Sligo has been recovered by the National Museum of Ireland. The species has a lifespan which can stretch over 500 years, the longest of any known vertebrate, was discovered on the shores of Finisklin. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Dr. Kevin Flannery, from Oceanworld in Dingle.

The ESRI have published a report saying that Ireland officially has the highest energy prices in the European Union. They found that energy prices could rise by €106 per year for the next four years. Meanwhile, figures from Wind Energy Ireland show that 41% of our energy in March came from wind. What should we be looking at to help alleviate pressures on our energy supply? To discuss, Shane is joi...

It’s Wish Week here on Newstalk, and we are highlighting the incredible work Make-A-Wish does in helping create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses… Ciara and Shane are joined by Ellen Kavanagh of Waxperts to wax Shane’s legs for a good cause! Let’s make 2026 the biggest Wish Week yet. Every cent matters. Donate online at makeawish.ie/donate.

Off The Ball’s John Duggan joined Ciara and Shane on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the rest of the week's action…

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Ciara and Shane to discuss an update on the EU’s age verification app.

As the 10 cent excise cuts take effect from today, forecourt operators are warning motorists that price drops will not be seen immediately. This comes after the International Monetary Fund warned there will be an international oil shortfall this year, with fears the Iran war could tip the world into recession… Joining Shane to discuss this is Kevin McPartlan, CEO of Fuels Ireland and Emma Howard,...

Coachella heads into its second weekend this Friday with stars like Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber set to perform again. Fans of Madonna may have noticed over the weekend that she has completely wiped her social media feeds, fuelling speculation that she could be set for a surprise appearance at the festival and that new music is on the way… Joining Ciara to discuss all things Coachella is Fo...

A group of three Fianna Fáil backbenchers released a statement expressing their concern in the party after the national fuel protests last week. What can be gleaned from this statement, and what other potential fallout could come from this no confidence motion? Joining Shane to discuss is Louise Burne, Political Correspondent with the Irish Examiner and Barry Heneghan, Independent TD.

It turns out we shouldn’t be like the French and introduce alcohol to our kids over dinner when they are 12 to drink. A 1997 US based study showed if teens start drinking before 15, they have a 40% chance of alcohol dependence later in life. The advice? Wait as long as possible. Henry McKean has been out chatting to people of all ages about this and joins Ciara to discuss.

This morning on Newstalk, we heard from Siobhán Gifford Lynch, the mother of Grace Lynch who died earlier this year at the age of 16 after she was hit by a scrambler, on the online abuse she has faced… Joining Shane to discuss this is Broadcaster Meghann Scully.

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 and Shane to give the ultimate guide to Barbados!

Last month, American medical technology company Stryker, which has a  headquarters in Cork, was crippled by a cyber-attack from an Iranian-backed group. While the company now says its global manufacturing network is fully operational, it had to deal with disruption for almost a month. So, just how vulnerable are we here to further attacks if the war continues? Richard Browne is the Director o...

While the Government has lost the favour of the Healy-Rae’s, it has passed the motion of no confidence originally tabled by Sinn Féin. Joining Ciara and Shane to discuss are Naoise Ó Muirí Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay North and David Cullinane, Sinn Féin’s Spokesperson on Health and Waterford TD.

It has been just over twenty four hours since the United States blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, but it is still largely unclear how the US is going about fully enforcing the blockade. Ship tracking data over the past day has shown some ships managing to pass through the Strait. It comes as some proposals continue to be traded between the United States and Iran, but both appear far apart on agreeme...

Architect Róisín Murphy joins Ciara and Shane to place her favourite book on The Hard Shoulder’s bookshelf!

Moya Brennan, best known as the lead singer of the Grammy and BAFTA-winning group Clannad, has passed away at the age of 73. Ciara and Shane are joined by singer Mary Coughlan and Fiachna Ó Braonáin, Broadcaster and Hothouse Flowers musician to look back on the legacy she leaves behind.

Today, Brianna Parkins writing in the Irish Independent says, “Men do see dirt, they are just unbothered because women are shamed into cleaning it”. Henry McKean has been asking the public about this, and joins Ciara and Shane to discuss.

After the death of cyclist Johnny Santos on Dublin’s Abbey Street, Dublin City Council has backed an emergency motion to impose better safety standards on Heavy Goods Vehicles or HGVs. This motion would require all vehicles to adhere to a scoring system for safety. Joining Shane to discuss is the proposer of the emergency motion, Green Party Councillor Ray Cunningham.

This afternoon the Dáil is debating a motion of no confidence, with a voting scheduled to take place. This is in the wake of last week’s nationwide fuel protests. In what could be considered shocking news, Michael Healy-Rae has announced that he will be voting against the current government, and will be resigning as a Junior Minister. Ciara and Shane are joined by Newstalk’s Political Corresponden...

Are we witnessing the death of the hardback book? A study in the UK reveals that most people favour a paperback, with almost half the respondents saying they have never bought a hardback book… Joining Seán to discuss is Mia Sherwood Scully, Freelance Journalist and formerly of Dubray Books.

Martin Heydon, Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, joins Ciara to discuss the new €505 Government support package in response to rising fuel prices, and the fuel protests around the country.