The Hard Shoulder

The Cabinet is actively discussing a potential review of our country’s ban on nuclear power, according to reporting by the Business Post. A number of Senior Ministers, including Jack Chambers and James Lawless, have expressed their openness for the ban to be reviewed. Denis Duff is a Chartered Engineer and Co-Founder of 18 for 0, and joins Ciara to discuss.

Kanye West, also known as Ye’s permission to travel to the UK this summer has been blocked by the government. The artist was set to travel to the UK to headline the Wireless festival in London. He has been heavily criticised in ⁠the past for antisemitic remarks and celebrating Nazism… For more on this, Ciara is joined by Vincent McAviney, London-based Journalist.

If you are a coffee drinker, you may always be seeking to recreate that perfect cup of coffee just like the one you get from your favourite café. But, how should you go about doing it, and what actually goes into creating the perfect cup of coffee? James McCormack is CEO of the Dublin Barista School, and joins Shane and Ciara to discuss.

The country is continuing to experience a national gridlock due to a national fuel protest taking place today over spiraling diesel, petrol and home heating oil prices due to the war on Iran… Currently, O’Connell Street in Dublin is closed due to protesting vehicles parked there, blocking main routes for commuters and public transport. For the Government reaction to this, Ciara is joined by Naoise...

“A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again”. Those were the words earlier today of the sitting US President Donald Trump on Truth Social as he threatened significant attacks on Iran tonight should a ceasefire deal not be reached. The President has set a deadline of 8pm eastern time in the US, 1am here, for that deal before attacks would start, which would see every brid...

Parents around the world are worried about their kids' screentime, and for some, they feel they have the solution: the landline. Many of our kids won’t know what a landline is if they saw one, but is it time to reintroduce this old technology? Esther McCarthy is Weekend Columnist with the Irish Examiner, and joins Ciara and Shane to discuss.

The National Botanic Gardens, in Kilmacurragh Co Wicklow have erected a sign warning dog owners to change their behavior or dogs will be banned in the gardens. The sign explains that due to the ongoing problems with dogs off leads and dog waste that dogs may be banned within the next year. Should more public spaces be dog-free? Joining Ciara to discuss this is Columnist and Broadcaster, Brenda Pow...

Frontline Garda numbers have fallen by nearly 600 and one in 10 stations are now left unmanned. For more on this, Shane is joined by Stephen Moore, Founder of Out of Blue Training & Matt Carthy, Sinn Fein’s Spokesperson on Justice.

The country is experiencing a national gridlock due to a national fuel protest taking place today over spiraling diesel, petrol and home heating oil prices due to the war on Iran. Trucks and tractors are continuing to arrive in Dublin city centre after taking off from sites around the country, parking on O’Connell Street. Joining Shane to discuss and give the latest updates is Blake Boland from Du...

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and John Fardy, Presenter of Screentime on Newstalk joined Ciara and Shane to review the latest TV and movie releases…

Researchers at the University of Exeter have found that the way to prevent seagulls from stealing your food is to stick googly eyes on your food packaging! Joining Ciara to discuss is Niall Hatch, Head of Communications at Birdwatch Ireland.

AIB is warning people about a new rental scam where criminals pose as landlords on legitimate letting websites and ask for deposit payments to secure a property viewing that doesn’t actually exist, or is unavailable to rent… The viewing is linked to a fake or compromised online property listing where the customer is directed to enter card or online details to authorise the payment. What can renter...

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 ahead of Easter…

Talking Bollox’s Terence Power joins Ciara for this week’s Thursday Interview!

The US President Donald Trump has said that the United States are “on the cusp” of ending the war in Iran. So, what has the American reaction been to his State of the Union address, and what is Trump’s plan to end the war? Joining Shane to discuss is Michael Graham, Managing Editor of InsideSources, a national news outlet based in Washington DC.

The fear of electricity blackouts has prompted Irish authorities to set down new protocols for data centre operators, as the expansion is expected to increase the sector’s electricity demand to 30% in the next five years. What is the correct protocol in the event of blackouts? Joining Ciara to discuss this is Liam Ryan, Chief Transformation & Technology and Offshore Officer at EirGrid.

As the war in the Middle East pushes up fuel prices across the globe, concern is growing about the potential impacts on the tourism industry here, should overseas visitors decide to stay at home. But, just what is the industry expecting? And are more staycations on the cards for this year? Joining Shane to discuss is Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, CEO of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation and Nuala Mu...

Today is World Autism Day, and a new report from AsIAm has found that seven in ten autistic people and families say that autism misinformation is rising in Ireland and has increased in the last year… For more on this, Shane is joined by the charity’s CEO, Adam Harris…

Over 130,000 at-home STI testing kits were ordered and dispatched by the HSE last year. It’s an increase of about four thousand tests compared to 2024, and shows continuing increases in demand since the kits were introduced in 2022. For more, we’re joined now by Newstalk reporter Emily Keegan.  Emily, what else do the figures tell us?

Croke Park has been confirmed as the venue for an August 12th friendly between Manchester United and Leeds United. With the teams both massive rivals, what will it mean for fans and residents in the area? Joining Ciara to discuss is Janet Horner , Dublin North Inner City Councillor and Cathaoirleach for The Green Party and Ciaran Bradley, Newstalk’s Digital Editor and Man U fan.

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 Ciara and Shane to discuss how to name a pet!

Broadcaster, Meghann Scully is the host of the Newstalk podcast ‘28 Ways to Save the World’. The 28th and final episode of the series will air this bank holiday weekend going live on GoLoud on Friday and airing on Newstalk on Easter Sunday. Meghann joins Shane to discuss the journey!

New dark comedy The ‘Burbs launches on Sky and NOW tonight. It is based on the 1989 comedy movie of the same name, which starred Tom Hanks. This time round it is British comedian and actor Jack Whitehall who leads the series along with Keke Palmer, whose worlds are upended when a new neighbour moves in across the road from the young couple. Jack Whitehall joins to discuss this, and his upcoming ho...

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…

Iran's foreign ministry has dismissed Donald Trump's claim that Tehran asked for a ceasefire, calling it "false and baseless". Earlier today, he took to Truth Social to say the Iranian "president" had asked for a ceasefire. Ciara is joined by David Blevins, US Correspondent with Sky News, to discuss. Image: Reuters