The Hard Shoulder

A PSNI initiative is now offering motorists who have been caught speeding a choice: accept penalty points or face stern questions from a panel of primary school children. Longford is one place where this initiative has been used for a while now, and Shane is joined by Janine Bartley, Community Safety Coordinator at Longford Local Community Safety Partnership to discuss…

This week, Ciara was joined by Off the Ball’s Ger Gilroy and Meghann Scully, Broadcaster and Presenter of ‘28 Ways to Save the World’ on Newstalk to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

As minds are focused on the war in the Middle East, battles are still continuing on the frontlines in Ukraine’s war with Russia. But, as this war effort drags on, Russia is solidifying its presence in Eastern Ukraine by pouring millions of dollars into a buildout of transport and trade infrastructure in a region that it is calling “New Russia”... Karolina Hird is a National Security Fellow at the...

The retirement age for some school bus drivers is set to increase to 72 from next September… Joining Ciara to discuss is Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Sean Canney.

The ‘Chinese baddie’ diet, SkinnyTok, undereating: these are some of the worrying diet trends we are seeing online. But, what impact is that having on people's health? Joining Ciara to discuss is Sarah Keogh, Registered Dietician.

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

New guidance from the UK government is recommending that children under the age of five should be limited to one hour of screen time a day, while under twos should not be watching screens alone at all. The government says they accept that there are quite a lot of unknowns when it comes to screentime for kids, and it is best to take a precautionary approach. Ollwyn Moran, Founder of Cognikids and N...

The man accused of the attempted murder of three children and the assault of a care worker on Parnell Square in Dublin in 2023 has been found fit to stand trial by the Central Criminal Court. 52 year old Riad Bouchaker of no fixed abode was found fit to mount a defence and stand trial once certain accommodations were provided. Newstalk’s Courts Correspondent Frank Greaney was at proceedings this m...

The Cadbury's drumming gorilla ad from 2007 has been voted people's favourite advert of all time. So, what makes an ad so memorable? For more on this, Ciara is joined by Claire Hyland, Head of Insights and Strategy at Thinkhouse…

We’ve all seen the rising costs due to the war in Iran and the energy crisis. While the Government has stepped in with measures to tackle fuel and heating costs, what can you do at home yourself? Nick Charalambous is Managing Director at Alpha Wealth, and joins Ciara with tips and tricks to spending less.

Senator Aubrey McCarthy has said that he forgives the man who was jailed on Thursday for threatening to kill him and the CEO of his charity, Tiglin. Senator McCarthy joins Ciara to discuss.

It’s heartbreak for Ireland as the football team failed to beat Czechia in the World Cup qualifier semi-final. Newstalk’s Henry McKean met with Irish fans on their journey home to get their reactions…

Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee announced that the women’s category of Olympic sports will be limited to “biological females” from the Los Angeles Games in 2028. IOC President Kirsty Coventry said that the policy was led by medical experts. Joining Ciara to share her reaction is Sharron Davies, who won Silver for Team GB at the 1980 Olympics and who is also a member of the House of...

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and David O’Callaghan from the Here and Back Again podcast joined Ciara on The Hard Shoulder to review the latest TV and movie releases…

Tonight the Republic of Ireland have to beat Czechia in order to stay in with a chance to qualify for the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico in the summer. If they win tonight, they will face Denmark or North Macedonia on Tuesday in the Aviva. Right now, Prague is jam packed with over 10,000 Irish fans, most don’t have a ticket to the game. One of them is Henry McKean who is ‘Czech-ing’ in wi...

Israel says it has killed Iran's Navy Chief overseeing the Strait of Hormuz blockade. Joining Ciara to discuss this and more is Sean Bell, former fighter pilot, military analyst and co-host of the ‘Red Matrix’ podcast. Image: Reuters

Former Mayo Footballer and eleven-time All-Star Winner Cora Staunton joins Ciara for this week’s Thursday Interview!

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

Emergency funding is needed to save Rosslare Strand beach following an ongoing battle with coastal erosion. The popular tourist spot Kelly’s Hotel in Rosslare Strand is now under threat, with the last remaining section of its adjoining beach expected to disappear in the coming months… Joining Ciara to discuss is Lisa McDonald, Fianna Fáil Cllr for Rosslare. Image: Visit Wexford

Dodgy box users could face legal action from Sky after the company obtained the names, addresses and bank details of 304 dodgy box users, but what does this mean for individuals? Joining Ciara to discuss is Eoin O’Dell, Associate Professor of Law in Trinity College Dublin.

The anticipation is building as Ireland are set to play against Czechia this evening in Prague for the World Cup play-offs. Shane Coleman is in Prague, and joins Ciara to give a sense of the excitement on the ground. Also joining to look ahead to the game is former Ireland International Footballer, Ray Houghton…

The Minister for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD, has today published two reports on commercial sunbed use in Ireland with a view to ban commercial sunbed use as part of Ireland’s cancer prevention framework. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Prof Aoife Lally, Consultant Dermatologist in St Vincents University hospital and clinic Professor in U...

A non-adversarial compensation scheme for more than 200 CAMHS patients found to have been exposed to potential harm, following a review of the service in North Kerry, has been extended. Davin Godfrey, Leading Campaigner for the Victims of North Kerry CAMHS joins Ciara to discuss.

Lidl and Tesco and Aldi have announced new cuts in the price of their own-brand milk and butter range, with Lidl reducing the prices of 15 of their dairy products. While it might be good for customers and their pockets, many farmers say the cuts come at a time when farmers are seeing a major rise in input costs… Dennis Drennan is President of the ICMSA, and joins Ciara to discuss.

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 take the perfect selfie!