The Hard Shoulder

For this week’s Kids Clinic, Ciara and Shane are joined by Neuro Development Therapist & Founder of Cogni Kids to discuss overcoming parental anxiety, and finding that balance of letting your children be free, but making sure they’re safe…

Government leaders are due to decide this evening how to begin winding back the temporary fuel excise cuts introduced after April’s nationwide fuel protests. There were signals from the Taoiseach and Tánaiste last week that a phased rollback could be the preferred option, with a gradual reversal of the support over three stages between out to October. Joining Ciara to discuss is Nora Strecker, Ass...

A midlands town has been left reeling by the loss of three young people in a two-vehicle crash in Spain that has also left a man fighting for life in hospital. They have been named locally as Amy McCullagh, her brother-in-law Mark McCullagh and his partner Michaela Newcombe. Joining Shane to discuss is Priest based in Mullingar, Father Norman Allred and Robert Troy, Fianna Fáil TD and Minister of...

As Wimbledon gets underway, the Irish Blue Cross is warning dog owners that tennis balls can pose serious risks to their pets. The advice warns that the size and compressibility of a tennis ball can create a choking hazard for dogs, while also causing damage to their teeth, but what dog toys, if any, are safe for your dog? Joining Ciara with his advice is Pete Wedderburn, AKA Pete the Vet.

Public transport users outside Dublin are unlikely to gain access to contactless payment systems until after 2028. That is despite more than €35 million already having been spent nationally on the project. Is the sensible solution in the interim period to have your Leap Card as part of your Apple Wallet, and where are we when it comes to the technology to support that? Joining Ciara to discuss is...

After a months-long noise battle between Hoxton Hotel and Yamamori Izakaya in Dublin, the DJ and nightclub events at Yamamori Izakaya will end next month, with the Yamamori restaurant continuing to operate as normal until the end of the year… In a joint statement, Yamamori and Trinity Hospitality, the leaseholder of the hotel, said they had agreed a “mutually beneficial” solution that allows both...

Rural homeowners will be permitted to build a second one-off house on their land to facilitate downsizing under new guidelines for rural and Gaeltacht housing. Joining Shane to discuss this is Brendan O’Sullivan, a Chartered Planner with many years of experience in rural local authorities, Founding Director of the Planning School at UCC and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Planning there…

This week , Ciara and Shane were joined by Off The Ball's Ger Gilroy and Broadcaster Meghann Scully to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists...

Today, the Mental Health Commission has published its 2025 annual report, which notes several areas of improved compliance with regulations, while also detailing poor infrastructure in place currently.. Joining Shane to detail the report's findings is CEO of the Mental Health Commission, John Farrelly.

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 weekend’s action…

Today marks three decades since the tragic and brutal killing of Journalist Veronica Guerrin. Paul Williams, Journalist at Mediahuis Ireland covering the Irish Independent and Sunday Independent wrote a powerful piece in today’s Irish Independent, where he described it as Ireland’s “JFK moment”. He joins Shane to reflect on when he heard the news of Veronica’s murder, and discuss the impact it had...

A gradual reversal in the excise cuts on petrol and diesel is set to be discussed by Government party leaders on Monday night… Joining Ciara to discuss is Sinn Féin TD, Matt Carthy.

Councillors across every local authority in the country are being asked to support motions calling for all GAA championship games to be broadcast free-to-air in 2027. One of those leading the charge is Fine Gael Senator Mike Kennelly, who joins Shane to discuss.

Should we as parents force our children to exercise and partake in sports simply because it is in their best interest? Or, should we leave it up to the child? Joining Shane to discuss this is Personal Trainer and Fitness Expert, John Belton.

A new scheme to push parents to ditch disposable nappies in favour of reusable cloth has been launched by Dublin City Council. The cloth nappy incentive scheme aims to reduce household waste by encouraging the uptake of reusable nappies… Joining Ciara to discuss is Director of Policy for environmental charity Voice Ireland, Abigail O’Callaghan Platt and Aideen Finnegan, Audio Producer at The Irish...

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and Chris Wasser, Arts Journalist and Sunday Independent Film Critic joined Ciara and Shane on The Hard Shoulder to review the latest TV and movie releases…

As you may have seen on social media recently, TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson spoke out on his experience of being diagnosed with prostate cancer. He encouraged his followers to get tested, stating the vital importance of prostate screening, encouraging followers not to be one of the "12,000 people, men, who die every year in the UK from prostate cancer". Sinn Féin TD Sean Crowe has had his own expe...

Comedian Michael Fry joins Ciara and Shane for this week’s Thursday Interview!

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 week’s action…

A report on the delivery of housing, transport and energy under the National Development Programme has been published. Meanwhile, Uisce Eireann have warned that the Greater Dublin area water supply is “on knife edge”. Joining Shane to discuss is Seán Defoe, Newstalk’s Political Correspondent and Peadar Tóibín, Aontú Leader.

The full impact of recent energy price rises has yet to be felt by Irish grocery shoppers, according to new research published today by the ESRI. But, how can you make sure to get the best value for money when doing your weekly shop? Damien O’Reilly, Lecturer in Retail Management at TUD, joins Ciara to discuss.

Earthquakes in Venezuela have killed at least 164 people, as rescuers continue to search collapsed buildings… Joining Shane to discuss is Head of Unicef Ireland, Peter Power. Image: Reuters

Dublin City Council has given the green light to plans for the refurbishment and extension of Phibsborough Tower and its change of use to become a nine-storey 150-bedroom hotel. Joining Shane to discuss this is Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon and Tom Phillips, Managing Director of Tom Phillips and Associates. Image: Archiseek

Dublin is set to be the home of ice hockey soon enough as Prime Arena is nearing closer to being a permanent fixture in Cherrywood, Dublin. The multipurpose venue will be home to two Olympic sized ice rinks but can transform into much more for concerts, basketball games, gymnastics, conferences and more besides. Joining Ciara and Shane to discuss is Paula O’Donnell, Business & Project Manager...

North County Dublin is home to its fair share of offshore islands. These peaceful havens are where nature and wildlife can thrive undisturbed by the city's influence. Ciara and Shane went aboard on the Naomi Leigh, a boat captained by tour guide Eamon McGrattan, owner of Fish & Trips, which offers sightseeing and marine wildlife tours. They went out to see the sights on the water!