The Hard Shoulder

Jeff Kinney, the award-winning author and creator of the ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series of books, has recently released the 20th(!) installment, ‘Partypooper’. He joins Ciara Doherty to talk about the latest book, and how everything first started…

Are you prepared for flu season? If not - what are the things you should look out and prepare for? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Dr. Scott Walken, GP in Ballina and Clinical Lead for Infection Control at the Irish College of GPs and Tony Fitzpatrick, Director of Professional Services at the INMO.

According to estate agents across the country, the number of landlords leaving the market is accelerating ahead of new tenancy rules. However, housing agencies are urging landlords not to have a “rash reaction” amid a dearth of supply and record homelessness levels… Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss this is Mary Conway, Chair of the Irish Property Owners Association and Pat Davitt, Property Consult...

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

The Hard Shoulder is looking back on 2025’s biggest moments in the news, and who were at the heart of it. We're going back to May, when a garment caused quite the stir… Controversy erupted when an inter-county camogie match between Dublin and Kilkenny wasn’t allowed to go-ahead because some of the players took to the field wearing shorts, and not the traditional skorts. The Camogie Association, in...

Aisling Larkin, Mindful Eating Coach and TV Chef joins Ciara Doherty to discuss the trendy small plate dishes you see in restaurants, and how you can have them at home!

Figures revealed this week show that there are over 180,000 customers in arrears on their electricity bills. Newstalk Reporter Josh Crosbie has been examining the impact the rising costs are having on households, and joins Ciara Doherty to discuss.

Off The Ball's Mick McCarthy joined Ciara Doherty on The Hard Shoulder to review the week in sport and look ahead to the weekend action…

Many parents are finding themselves caught out when their childminding service has to close due to staff shortages. This is a particular issue that crops up during the winter months, as workers call in sick, often leaving parents scrambling late to make alternative plans for their children. So, does Ireland have an infrastructure problem around this? To chat more about it, Ciara Doherty is joined...

As party season is upon us, it is important to remember your party etiquette, from hosting to the work party. How should you behave this Christmas season? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Caroline Reidy, HR Spokesperson and Michelle Harding, Etiquette Expert.

Last week, Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke, if he will amend the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 to include apprentices in its remit. Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Aaron, an electrical apprentice, and Brian Nolan, Assistant General Secretary of Connect Trade Unions.

Sarina Bellissimo, Broadcaster and Presenter of the Bellissimo Files Podcast and Dee Reddy, Entertainment Journalist and Podcaster joined Seán Defoe on The Hard Shoulder to review the latest TV and movie releases…

Hilary Devlin joins Seán Defoe to discuss her journey playing visually-impaired rugby.

Dylan Bradshaw, award-winning Hairstylist and owner of Dylan Bradshaw Salon joins Seán Defoe for this week’s Thursday Interview!

November 20th is World Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day, and specialists along with Pancreatic Cancer Ireland are calling for rapid access to diagnostic clinics, as it is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030… Joining Seán Defoe to discuss this is Professor Tom Gallagher, Consultant Surgeon at the National Surgical Centre for Pancreatic Cancer at St. Vincent’s...

A primary school in Louth has been forced to send emails to Government representatives detailing how under pressure the school is financially. In this instance, the school asked parents to ensure students bring in their own toilet roll and their own hand towels to school due to insufficient funding… Joining Seán Defoe to discuss is Eoin Dolan, Principal of Mother of Divine Grace National School in...

Bringing a baby into the world should be a blissful time of nurture, calm and care - but for the women travelling to the National Maternity Hospital and enduring the traffic, potholes and lack of parking in the area, the experience can be anything but that.  Newstalk's Sarah Madden reports.

Minister for Transport and Climate Darragh O’Brien joins Seán Defoe from COP30 in Brazil to discuss what progress is being made there, as well as matters at home such as the situation in Dublin Airport.

Ireland’s pathway to the World Cup has been confirmed this morning, following a playoff draw at FIFA headquarters… So, does it look good for team Ireland? Joining Seán Defoe to discuss is Cameron Hill from Off The Ball. Also joining is Travel Journalist Eoghan Corry, to discuss your options on getting to the Czech Republic game.

A light aircraft has crashed on the Waterford coast, as multiple units of emergency services attend the scene. Joining Seán Defoe to discuss is Ralph Riegel, Southern Correspondent for the Irish Independent.

Grief is something we’ve all experienced, and it was pushed into the spotlight on Tuesday night when Scotland player Andy Robertson was immediately interviewed after his country qualified for the World Cup, and talked about his friend and former teammate, Diogo Jota. Joining Seán Defoe to discuss the grief process is Founder of Shapes of Grief, Grief Educator and Psychotherapist, Liz Gleeson.

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 to discuss how to properly walk the red carpet!

It’s been 15 years since the arrival of the IMF to Ireland after the financial crash. The IMF programmes after 2008 were the first European programmes for the body since 1953. This, along with the major work the IMF has done in developing countries, make it one of the most influential world organisations in times of crisis. Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Colm McCarthy, Economist and Pat Leahy...

For this week’s Tech Takeover, Jess Kelly, Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent joins Ciara Doherty to discuss how you can avoid scams online, especially during the period of Black Friday and Christmas shopping…

A Status Yellow snow and ice warnings are in place in 11 counties in the north and northeast. How should you prepare for the potentially hazardous conditions? Joining Ciara Doherty to discuss is Cathal Nolan from The Weather Channel and Joey Donnelly, of Crofton Motors.