The Hard Shoulder

Former US President Bill Clinton will face questions from a Congressional panel on Friday on his well-documented links to Jeffrey Epstein, as Democrats seek to shift focus onto Donald Trump’s own ties to the convicted sex offender. Terry Sheridan, News Director at WSHU Radio joins Shane with the latest information.

From the grimy sponge sitting at the side of your sink to the pillow you rest your head on every night, there are lots of household items you probably should be replacing a lot more than you think, but just how often should they be replaced? Dr Amalia Scannell is a Microbiologist at the UCD Institute of Food and Health and joins Ciara to tell us just how often they should be replaced…

To the UK now where the Green Party has swept to victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election, snatching what was one of Labour’s safest seats and delivering a major blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. So, what will this mean for the party, and does it raise questions about how long Prime Minister Keir Starmer will continue as leader? Joining Shane to discuss this is Stephen Pound, former Labour...

Mice spotted ‘scurrying along skirtings’ in the canteen, a ladybird infestation in a TD’s office and seagull troubles are among pest-control issues in Leinster House… Joining Ciara with the story is Darragh McDonagh, Freelance Journalist.

Almost 320,000 households were unable to pay their electricity bills in full last December, marking a sharp year-on-year increase and pushing arrears to record levels, but why are costs so high? For more on this, Shane is joined by Muireann Lynch, Senior Research Officer with the ESRI.

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

The Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien has said he would rather invest the money that could be spent on train catering carts on new transport lines, querying Irish Rail's stated cost of around €2 million for bringing back the tea trolley on the Belfast and Cork lines after Covid. Should the tea trolley be rolled out across the country once again? Joining Shane to discuss this is Newstalk’s own...

Singer-Songwriter Tolü Makay joins Ciara and Shane for this week’s Thursday Interview!

90% of Irish people believe eulogies at funerals should be allowed, that’s according to new research conducted by RIP.ie . Despite this some priests don’t allow eulogies during masses. Joining Ciara to discuss is Fr Paddy Byrne, from Abbeyleix in Co. Laois.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations have started early for The Temple Bar Pub, in the heart of Dublin city. They have erected a 12 ft statue of St Patrick on their building hovering over the tourists below. Already, you can see tourists stopping to take pictures standing below him. It has been gaining negative comments online. Tom Cleary is the Manager of The Temple Bar Pub and joins Ciara to discuss. A...

A new study from the ESRI has found that school absence leads to lower educational qualifications and poorer wellbeing in early adulthood. The report details that even a short spell of absence of one to two days at age thirteen are linked to lower Leaving Certificate grades. But are these figures a little too stark and is it putting the focus too much on parents? Joining Shane to discuss this is F...

Transport Minister Daragh O'Brien has said that members of a planned new public transport security service are to be given powers of arrest and pursuit. For more on this, Ciara is joined by Dermot O’Leary, General Secretary of the National Bus & Rail Union.

Does it annoy you if your partner stacks the dishwasher wrong, or your housemate puts it on half full? What about if your kids put the cutlery facing the sharp side up? There are many bug bearers when it comes to the dishwasher, but what is the best way to stack the dishwasher and are you doing it wrong?   Joining Shane to discuss is Ann Russell, TikToker, cleaning expert and author of @...

Katie Taylor will retire this summer after her Dublin fight, the 39-year-old has confirmed today. But, will it be in Croke Park or another venue? Henry McKean visited her home town of Bray and joins X from the Wicklow town 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 make a proper slice of toast!

This afternoon An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and An Tánaiste Simon Harris have issued a state apology to survivors of institutional abuse, following a protest by four survivors of abuse in industrial and reformatory schools which lasted fifty days outside Leinster House last year. Joining  to discuss this further is Dr Maeve O’Rourke, Lecturer at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of...

Many people find multiple benefits to working from home, whether it is freedom from the commute or that little bit longer in bed, but apparently there is one more upside to it: increased birth rates! Research from Kings College London and Stanford University has shown that almost 300,000 extra children have been born in the US since the advent of work from home at the start of the Covid pandemic....

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Shane to discuss how technology is being used to improve healthcare. She went out to Beaumont Hospital, where robots are being used in care, and shares what she learned.

The Social Democrats have set out a 20 point plan to improve access, remove costs and increase capacity when it comes to general practitioner care in Ireland. It includes looking to make GP care free to all by 2030. But, as we know, trying to even get an appointment is a challenge right now, so what actions need to be taken now to address current issues around GP care? Joining Ciara to discuss is...

Today the Defense Minister revealed the National Maritime Security Strategy 2026-2030. It provides a roadmap to how we can go about defending our maritime security until the end of the decade, with more collaboration between our neighbors and European allies to protect our waters. But, would such a move infringe on our neutrality? Joining Shane for more on this is Mark Mellett, Chief of Staff of I...

From the person who paces the house having a conversation on loudspeaker to that one friend that never replies to your texts, what are the worst phone habits to have and are you guilty of them? Joining Ciara to discuss is Joe O’Shea, Editor CorkBeo and Elaine Burke, presenter of the ‘For Tech’s Sake’ podcast.

Ireland’s biggest residential landlord, Ires Reit, has told investors that incoming changes to tenancy rules could see a major increase in its rental income. Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson, joins Shane to discuss.

Should we revisit the use of the Irish language in TV and online advertisements as a way of ensuring people passively pick up their cúpla focail? Joining Ciara to discuss this is Kate Brady, actor and content creator.

Special Needs Assistants, parents, teachers, and students will take to the streets this afternoon to call for support for SNAs as 30 protests are due to take place across the country. Joining Shane to discuss is Eoghan Kenny, Labour’s Education Spokesperson and Niamh McDonald, parent and organiser of today’s protest.

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, as part of his 12 best cities in the world, Fionn joined Ciara and Shane to give the ultimate guide to London!