The Hard Shoulder

A conference will take place on Saturday to discuss the Gender Recognition Act 2015 & its potential impact on Irish society. Ciara is joined by one of the speakers at the event, Helen Joyce, Author of ‘Trans: Gender Identity & The New Battle for Women’s Rights & Director of Advocacy at Sex Matters’.

Shane Lowry has been speaking about the perspective he gained from his daughter after placing second at the Cognizant Classic last week. His daughter asked "Why is everyone acting so sad that you finished second? Second is good.” So, how do you deal with coming second? Joining Shane to discuss is Enda McNulty, CEO of McNulty Performance.

Yesterday we heard from Labour TD George Lawlor and Ann Marie Lamb, a tenant in one of the thirty six homes in Bridgetown County Wexford issued with eviction notices. Those tenants have now been told that those eviction notices have been withdrawn. Anna, Tenant at Hazelwood in Bridgetown, joins Ciara to discuss.

A recent survey by ComReg of 3,000 Irish adults found that 57% are paying for traditional TV services, such as Sky or Virgin. The number represents a sharp decrease since 2023, when 70% were subscribing. It’s estimated that around 400,000 people have dodgy boxes across the country...is there where those subscribers are going? Larry Bass is CEO of ShinAwil, and joins Shane to discuss.

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…

The Special Olympics Ireland Summer Games, Ireland’s largest inclusive sporting event, will take place from the 18th to the 21st of June. Over 1,200 athletes will compete across 12 sports over four days in 10 venues in Dublin. Henry McKean went to the launch at the National Indoor Arena, and sent this report.

The Government are “taking public for fools’, so says Sinn Fein’s Energy Spokesperson and TD for Kerry, Pa Daly, as a ‘targeted’ energy credit was put off the table by Government. The TD is critical of Government and the energy regulator for allowing the level of household energy debt to reach new record highs… Today Pa Daly introduced two bills that he says will tackle Ireland’s energy crisis, en...

Actor and Comedian Mike Wozniak joins Ciara and Shane for this week’s Thursday Interview!

The United States and Israel’s war with Iran is in its sixth day today. The Defence Ministry of the UAE has said it has intercepted and destroyed six ballistic missiles and over one hundred drones with some debris falling inside the country. In Lebanon, the Israeli Defence Forces has urged residents of the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate their homes immediately. For the latest analysis, Cia...

Labour TD for Wexford George Lawlor has said that the audio of a landlord telling a tenant they are selling the property because of the Government’s new rent rules exposes the truth behind a wave of eviction notices in Wexford… George joins Shane, as well as tenant Ann Marie Lambe, who has received an eviction notice, to discuss.

Today the world was shocked to hear where Jessie Buckley stood on the dog versus cat debate, admitting that she hates cats… Is she finally speaking the truth that many are afraid to admit? Joining Shane and Ciara to discuss is Conor Pope, Consumer Affairs Correspondent with the Irish Times (and cat hater).

A primary school in Celbridge has closed from today after a “number of fire safety and building compliance matters” were identified that require “urgent attention”. Parents of the students are due to meet with the Board of Management later this evening. One of those parents is Louise McNerney, who joins to discuss.

Many people across the country will be familiar with mould in their homes, but what are the dangers of mould to our health, and how can we safely remove it? Joining Shane to discuss is Martin Glynn, Founder of the DIY Academy and Dr Maire Finn, of Ennis Centric Health.

The Government’s charter flight to get stranded citizens home from the Middle East is expected to depart in the coming days. The flight is planned to depart from Oman, with passengers being transferred by bus from places like Dubai to take the flight. However, those taking the flight will have to pay eight hundred euro per adult, with the Government contributing the rest. Joining 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 fly on a private jet!

For many adults, the news cycle at the minute is heavy and difficult to deal with, but children cannot be completely shielded from the news. Whether it’s overhearing the radio or TV that their parents may be watching, or being fed content on the social media feeds, how can we help children deal with the heavy news content they are seeing? Psychotherapist Iseult White joins Ciara and Shane to discu...

French President Emmanuel Macron has joined Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in calling the legality of strikes on Iran into question, Macron said the strikes on Iran that began Saturday were conducted "outside of international law" and that Paris "cannot approve of them." Joining Shane to discuss this is Sean Bell, former Fighter Pilot, Military Analyst and Co-Host of the Red Matrix Podcast &...

A primary school with around 400 students and staff in Celbridge, County Kildare has told parents it is to close temporarily because of safety concerns… For more on this, Ciara is joined by Aidan Farrelly, Social Democrats TD for Kildare North and party Spokesperson for Youth, Children and Equality.

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Shane to discuss an ongoing trial in the United States over social media addiction, and how apps can be maliciously designed to keep you on them.

Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Jack Chambers, joins Ciara to discuss the new General Scheme of the Critical Infrastructure Bill, the current concerns around energy prices and the war in Iran.

Many listeners will be aware of the case that we covered concerning Caitlyn, who was sexually assaulted by another UCD student. Following the assault, images were shared among the student body and faculty. Yesterday on the show Ciara spoke to doctors within the healthcare system who had expressed their concerns over UCDs handling of the case. Today the UCD student body came out at a public protest...

A decade ago, a survey found that Irish parents will spend more than €5,400 on children’s birthday parties and gifts by the time their child gets to sixth class, due to inflation over the last 10 years it is safe to assume that figure has risen exponentially. So, what are the average costs facing parents today and is there a way to have a kid's party on a budget? Joining Ciara to discuss is Aideen...

Fuel prices could go over €2 a litre at petrol stations according to the Irish Road Hauliers Association, but is it price gauging? Taking advantage of global uncertainty, or is it completely up to the world markets and the situation in the Middle East? Henry McKean has been investigating, and joins Shane to discuss.

“Truly exceptional and has to be seen to be believed” was how Mr Justice Brian Cregan described the behaviour of the mother and sister of imprisoned schoolteacher Enoch Burke in contempt of court proceedings against the pair. Martina and Ammi Burke were both sentenced to two weeks each for their behaviour at a hearing last month. Shane Phelan, Legal Affairs Editor with the Irish Independent, joins...

We are currently in an energy crisis, so how can we ensure we increase sources of renewable energy in order to become more self-sufficient? Joining Shane to discuss is local Councillor, Noel Thomas and Oisín Coghlan, Policy advisor to the Environmental Pillar.