The Hard Shoulder

U.S. President Donald Trump will tonight make his first State of the Union address of his second term. The address to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will come in the backdrop of a new global 10% tariff in response to the Supreme Court invalidating his previous tariffs. Joining Shane to discuss what we can expect and more is Anthony Zurcher, BBC’s North America Corresponden...

Broadcaster Sean O’Rourke joins Ciara and Shane to place his favourite book on The Hard Shoulder Bookshelf!

RIP.ie turns 20 this year. With an average of 70-million-page views per month, it is a unique Irish phenomenon. Joining Shane to discuss this is Undertaker Colm Kieran, owner of My Farewell Wishes, to discuss the impact it has had for Funeral Directors.

Yesterday we heard from Ukraine and how the country continues to be impacted by ongoing Russian aggression and air strikes amidst their push for more sanctions and weapons from Russian nations, but what about Russia itself? Is its economy finally beginning to feel the bite from four years of prioritizing war? Dr Noah Buckley is Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at Trinity...

From jackets to pyjamas, are we pampering our dogs too much? Is it strange to be humanizing them? Joining Shane to discuss is Nanci Creedon, Clinical Animal Behaviourist.

From the occasional sweet as a reward, to the endless sugar available at a birthday party, junk food has become a significant part of children’s diet. But when they are bombarded with it both in person and with advertising online, what impact does the eating of junk food have on their brain? Dr Harriet Shellekens, Senior Lecturer, Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience at UCC has just completed a...

A man in his 50s has been arrested in connection with the investigation into the murder of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine last year. Sinead Kelleher from The Kerryman joins Shane with the latest…

Market rents across the country rose by 4.4% last year, 80% higher than they were a decade ago, with the average monthly rent for an apartment in Dublin city now almost €2,700. That’s according to the latest Rental Report by Daft.ie . This comes on the same day that an overhaul of rent regulations has been signed into law by President Catherine Connolly. Joining Ciara to discuss is Eoin Ó Broin, S...

The High Court is set to assess damages owed to Nikita Hand by her former neighbours after they failed to respond to her claim for damages accusing them of abusing court processes. For more on this, Shane is joined by Shane Phelan, Legal Affairs Editor with the Irish Independent.

Tomorrow, fighting in Ukraine will enter its fifth year, after Vladimir Putin launched Europe’s biggest conflict since World War Two. Joining Ciara to discuss and look back on four years of war is Emmanuelle Chaze, Ukraine Correspondent for France24 and RFI. Image: Reuters

Ten years ago, the North East Inner City taskforce was established to try and improve an area of Dublin impacted by poverty and criminality. The NEIC has today published its annual report, which details its ongoing work in the community. Newstalk Reporter Josh Crosbie was there for the report’s launch, and joins Ciara to discuss. Image: NEIC

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Shane is joined by Ollwyn Moran, Neuro Development Therapist & Founder of Cogni Kids to discuss how you can raise resilient children.

Peter Mandelson has been arrested for suspicion of misconduct in public office. Vincent McAvinney, London Based Journalist, joins Ciara with the latest information.

The Minister for Sport must work collaboratively with League of Ireland clubs to ensure safety instead of making knee-jerk threats to cut funding. That’s the view of Ruairí Ó Murchú, Sinn Féin TD for Louth who joins Shane to discuss.

On Newstalk Breakfast this morning you may have heard Anton Savage and Claire Byrne chatting about how Chip Sticks are not what they used to be, not as tangy in flavour for example. But, are they really losing their flavour, or are we just getting older? Joining Ciara to discuss is Suzanne Kane, Broadcaster and self-proclaimed ‘corn snack queen’ and Phil Smyth, aka ‘Phil of Science’, Physicist and...

On Wednesday ‘Forever is Now’ will be screened as part of the Dublin International Film Festival. It follows former Green party leader Eamon Ryan and his team over the last 18 months of the Irish Green Party’s time in Government, while also taking a look at his relationship with his autistic son, Tommy. Eamon Ryan joins Shane to discuss. Image: Soilsiú Films

Following another tragic weekend on Irish roads, what needs to be done to improve road safety? David Martin, Media Relations Manager at the RSA joins Ciara to discuss.

“A third of the population lives in a rural community, yet we have one of the worst public transport networks in Europe. That’s not by accident; it’s a political choice”. So says Writer Emma De Souza. What needs to be done by the Government to support rural communities? Emma joins Shane and Martha Gilheaney, Lecturer in Dublin, to discuss.

This week, Ciara and Shane were joined by the presenter of Weekend Breakfast on Today FM, Alison Curtis and Off the Ball’s Ger Gilroy to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

He may be better known as Dr Derek Shepard at the Seattle Grace Hospital, but since departing our screens on Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick Dempsey has turned his attention to slightly darker, more sinister roles. His latest venture is that a photocopier salesman and father… but has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. And he is also a hitman… ‘Memory of a Killer’ is out now on Amazon Prime and Patrick...

Off The Ball Senior Producer Mick McCarthy joined Shane on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

The United States Supreme Court has struck down the majority of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. The court, which has a conservative majority, saw two of the conservative justices side with their liberal counterparts to strike down the tariffs in a six three ruling. Joining Ciara to discuss is David Smith, Washington Bureau Chief with The Guardian, Dr Nora Strecker, Associate Professor of Economi...

After week one of cheating on and off the ice, what are the big stories of week two of the Winter Olympics? Joining Ciara and Shane to discuss is Barry Kenny, Communications Manager with Iarnród Éireann, and Olympics superfan! Image: Reuters

This week the National Bus and Railworkers’ Union called for high visibility clothing for cyclists and e-scooter users to reduce the risks for both drivers and riders, but is this more of an enforcement issue given that high vis clothing is already supposed to be worn at night time? Joining Ciara to discuss is Jason Cullen, of the Dublin Commuter Coalition.

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