The Hard Shoulder

As we enter the Christmas period, people tend to come into contact with a lot of wildlife, whether that’s out on a walk, or maybe around your home. Joining Ciara to discuss whether you should do anything to help them is Zoologist and Ecologist with Wildlife West Rescue, Alex Muschketat.

US President Donald Trump has said that the United States needs Greenland for “national security” after his appointment of a special envoy to the Danish arctic island triggered a new spat with Copenhagen. Joining Ciara to discuss is Dan Mulhall, Former Ambassador of Ireland to the United States. Image: Reuters

Irish Rail’s Christmas schedule adds late night services for revellers. Irish Rail will operate on a reduced schedule from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day, some extra services have been added for this weekend for any Christmas party goers. The question is: should late night services be run all year? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Ray O’Donoghue, Dublin’s night-time economy advisor, Barry Kenn...

9-year-old Harry McCormack, was born with half a heart, and he is trying to raise funds for Crumlin hospital, as well as its staff who give up Christmas for sick kids. Ciara is joined by Harry himself, his Mum Leanne and his Dad Keith to discuss. If you would like to donate, you can visit childrenshealth.ie .

The Muppet Show returns to Disney+ with the gang back on stage for a one-off special streaming from February 4th, featuring singer Sabrina Carpenter. But, what is it about the Muppets that has lasted the test of time? Joining Ciara to discuss is Sarah Maria Griffin, author of Eat the Ones You Love. Image: Disney

For this week’s Kids Health Check, Ciara Doherty is joined by Ollwyn Moran, Neuro Development Therapist & Founder of Cogni Kids to discuss supporting your child over Christmas. In all the fun and celebrations of the season, it may be easy to overlook the impact that changes that have happened over the year can have on children when the day comes, whether that be family bereavement or separatio...

Singer-songwriter Chris Rea, known for hits including ‘Driving Home for Christmas’, has died at the age of 74, a spokesperson for his family has said. To discuss the legacy he leaves behind, Ciara is joined by Entertainment Journalist, Sarina Bellissimo.

Flu cases are expected to peak this week as Ireland enters the Christmas period amid already intense pressure on hospitals and emergency departments. The HSE  is urging caution as influenza, RSV and COVID-19 circulate. Joining Ciara to discuss is GP, Dr Maire Finn and Dr Marc-Alain Widdowson, Team Lead for Communicable Diseases at the WHO.

The amount of income we save rather than spend rose to 13.8% last year and is expected to be close to 15% this year. But, what is the psychology behind saving, and why are Irish people so good at it?  Joining Ciara to discuss is Dr Anne Keogh, Principal Clinical Psychologist and Council Member of the Psychological Society of Ireland.

The Government has announced a new €400 million funding initiative to deliver new homes. This doubles the amount allocated towards the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, which was first announced in 2023. So, will all of this make a significant difference? And are steps being made in the right direction? Joining Ciara to discuss is Property Developer, Michael O’Flynn.

A new report has said Dublin is the 11th most congested city in the world. Dublin city was described as one of the “big movers” in 2025, having risen four places from the 15th spot in the global congestion rankings. In Ireland, approximately 80% of the population over 18 holds a driving license, and nearly three-quarters of all journeys are made by car. But why do we love the car so much? Is it ju...

This week, Ciara Doherty was joined by Off the Ball’s Ger Gilroy and Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent Jess Kelly to look back on the week that was, but with a few twists…

After a surprise Donald Trump U-turn, the Epstein files are due to be released later today, which include tens of thousands of documents relating to criminal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein. 68 photos were pre-emptively released by Democrats in Congress. Some of those featured in the newly released images include former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, billionaire Bill Gates, Director Woody...

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins Ciara Doherty to discuss the preparation you can do to make sure Christmas dinner goes off without a hitch!

Off The Ball's Eoin Sheahan joined Ciara Doherty on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action. Image: Tudum

EU leaders have pledged a €90 billion loan for Ukraine to meet urgent financial needs, but failed to agree on the preferred option for securing that loan against Russia’s frozen assets in the bloc. For more on the implications of this, Ciara Doherty is joined by Sean Bell, former fighter pilot, military analyst and Co-Founder of Red Matrix Productions.

Over the last twenty-five years, Ireland has changed. Our voices got louder. Our culture reached further, and some extraordinary people helped shape it all. From trailblazers in the arts and social change, to leaders in sport, music and on the big screen, we’re counting down the most influential Irish people of the last 25 years. You, the listener, have been voting for who you think are the most i...

With burglaries peaking over the festive season, a new national survey reveals that the impact of a break-in goes far beyond lost valuables. The research shows that almost half of victims feel unsafe in their own homes afterwards, and a significant number experience long-lasting anxiety, sleep disruption, and hyper-vigilance. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Mick Comerford from AXA Ireland and Dr....

Actress Kate Wins­let has revealed she has to “pick the time of day” she vis­its the super­mar­ket dur­ing the fest­ive sea­son to avoid mums and daugh­ters who want to talk about ‘The Hol­i­day’. So, as Kate ducks and dives, the rest of us will be proudly doing the best shop of the year, the big Christmas grocery shop. But, what are the essential indulgences on that shopping list? Joining Ciara t...

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

Ireland’s Foreign Direct Investment Agency (IDA) are reporting growth for this year, as their end of year results come out. But, is everything rosy with the Irish economy?  And what are the real prospects moving forward? Fergal O’Rourke is Chair of the IDA, and joins Ciara to discuss…

As the Dáil finishes up for Christmas today, it seems like the right time to look back at the key political moments of the year. Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Fionnán Sheahan, Ireland Editor of the Irish Independent and Craig Hughes, Political Correspondent for The Irish Daily Mail.

Teachers in England are to be trained to spot early signs of misogyny in boys and teach them the difference between pornography and real relationships. To discuss this, and whether it’s something that should be considered for Irish schools, Ciara is joined by Richard Hogan, Family Psychotherapist, Clinical Director of Therapy Institute and author of ‘Home is Where the Start Is’ and Padraig Curley,...

Caredoc’s Out of Hours GP services in Carlow, Kilkenny, south Tipperary, Waterford, Wexford and south Wicklow, will not be operating from 6pm this evening as strike action is underway. Joining Ciara to discuss this is Anne Marie Walsh, Industry Correspondent with The Irish Independent and Dr Brendan O’Shea, Kildare GP & Assistant Adjuvant Professor in Public Health and Primary Care at Trinity...

Over the last twenty-five years, Ireland has changed. Our voices got louder. Our culture reached further, and some extraordinary people helped shape it all. From trailblazers in the arts and social change, to leaders in sport, music and on the big screen, we’re counting down the most influential Irish people of the last 25 years. You, the listener, have been voting for who you think are the most i...